NGOs to celebrate Earth Day in Porsea

NGOs to celebrate Earth Day in Porsea

JAKARTA: A number of non-government organizations, religious
leaders and students will commemorate Earth Day in Porsea, North
Sumatra on April 21, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment
(Walhi) says.

"We will remind the people that Porsea residents have been
suffering from pollution and repression during the operation of
pulp company PT Indorayon," Longgena Ginting, the executive
director of Walhi said on Wednesday in a statement.

Earth Day falls on April 22.

Indorayon was closed down by former president Abdurrahman
Wahid due to environmental concerns, but President Megawati
Soekarnoputri allowed the company to resume operation early this
year.

Three activists have been arrested by police for staging a
protest to close Indorayon, which has since been renamed PT Toba
Pulp Lestari. --JP