Three more arrested for blockade of pulp factory<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
The police in Tarutung, North Tapanuli, North Sumatra, arrested
\non Tuesday three people for preventing log trucks from supplying
\nraw materials to a pulp mill belonging to PT Toba Pulp Lestari
\n(TPL), in Porsea, some 170 kilometers south of Medan.<\/p>\n
The spokesman for the North Sumatra Police, Sr. Comr. Amrin
\nKarim, confirmed here on Tuesday that the three, including a
\nstudent from Nomensen University in the city, were arrested for
\nblocking the road with used cars on a highway in Sirait Uruk
\nleading to the factory site.<\/p>\n
\"The arrest was conducted in line with the law. The three
\nidentified as Tulus Sirait, Rahman Butar-butar and Binsar
\nSilitonga, were put in the police detention facility in Tarutung,
\nfor further investigation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The three protesters were part of more than 200 people who
\ncame to the factory site to protest the reopening of the pulp
\nmill.<\/p>\n
The police previously arrested 16 protesters, including two
\nchurch ministers, for ransacking the office of the Porsea
\ndistrict chief in their protest of the pulp mill's reopening.<\/p>\n
The government allowed TPL to resume operations earlier this
\nyear after it shut down in October 2000 for environment
\nviolations. The reopening was on the condition that TPL would
\ncomply with all environmental laws and carry out a social
\ncommunity development program to empower local residents.<\/p>\n
The pulp mill, widely believed to be a major polluter of the
\nAsahan River and world-famous Lake Toba, was also accused of
\ndamaging road networks in the Toba-Samosir regency. The damage
\ndone by the plant sparked strong opposition following the
\ncollapse of former president Suharto's repressive regime in 1998.<\/p>\n
TPL's rayon mill has already been relocated to China.<\/p>\n
The pulp mill, which was previously owned entirely by the
\nRadja Garuda Mas (RGM) Group, has resumed operations with an
\ninjection of fresh money from two consortia, one from Hong Kong
\nand another from Boston in the U.S. The group is also running
\nanother pulp mill PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) in
\nPelalawan, Riau.<\/p>\n
Herwin Nasution, executive director of the Medan Environment
\nForum (Walhi), lambasted police for the recent arrests, saying
\nthe three were not involved in the blockade.<\/p>\n
He also said the police should not intimidate local residents
\nopposed to the pulp mill's reopening.<\/p>\n
\"The people staged the demonstration to protest the
\ngovernment's policy as well as the intimidation by the local
\npolice against citizens opposing the pulp mill's reopening,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said he had received many reports that the local police in
\nPorsea have frequently shot their guns at night as a way to
\nintimidate the people.<\/p>\n
He called on security authorities to facilitate a dialog
\nbetween the management and locals and not to use a repressive
\nsecurity approach as it would not solve the problem.<\/p>\n
TPL Deputy Manager Wi Lim said despite the continued protest,
\nthe management would continue trial operations until the factory
\nwas able to operate at full capacity.<\/p>\n
\"We will continue the operation because such a protest is
\nnormal in democracy but protesters should comply with the law in
\nairing their aspirations,\" he said, explaining that during the
\ntrial period, the mill would continue to operate with a capacity
\nof between 200 tons and 300 tons per day.<\/p>\n
The company has supplied its raw materials from forests in
\nseveral locations in the province and purchased other logs from
\nlocal loggers.<\/p>\n
House Deputy Speaker Soetarjo Soerjogoeritno, in his visit to
\nthe pulp plant last week, said he was happy about the company's
\nreopening because it would contribute money to the local
\nadministration, and indirectly support dozens of small companies
\nin the area that employed some 15,000 workers.<\/p>\n
He also called on the local administration to actively
\ndisseminate information on why the government had allowed the
\npulp mill to resume operations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-more-arrested-for-blockade-of-pulp-factory-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}