Antipulp congress held in Porsea

Antipulp congress held in Porsea

Medan, North Sumatra: Around 1,500 residents of Toba-Samosir regency in North Sumatra held a mass gathering in Porsea to establish agreement regarding their objections to the planned reopening of the PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) pulp mill.

Also attending the gathering held in Sirait Uruk, near the pulp plant, were legislator Tunggul Sirait, actress Ratna Sarumpaet, human rights and environmental activists and church ministers.

The participants threatened civil disobedience should the government decline to review its policy that gives a green light to the company to resume its operations.

Winning government approval, TPL was set to resume operations this March with pledges to comply with the law and carry out a social community development program to empower local people.

Chairman of the Toba-Batak Community (Parbato) Ompu Monang said the participants were ready to take whatever risks were necessary to oppose the planned reopening of the pulp mill.

"Locals are ready to resort to civil disobedience should the government fail to stop the pulp mill's operation," he said on Thursday. -- JP