Porsea remain tense, hundreds take refuge

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

The situation in the North Sumatra town of Porsea is still tense with hundreds of local people taking refuge following the week- long riot in which 17 locals, including two church ministers, were arrested.

More and more police personnel supported by the local military were deployed to enhance security in the small town in connection with increasing protests against the planned re-operation of pulp sawmill PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL), the new name of troubled PT Inti Indorayon Utama (IIU).

The executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) in North Sumatra, Erwin Nasution, said many residents of Porsea had gone to Pae Radja in Tarutung, North Tapanuli, to take refuge since security personnel were intimidating local people opposed to the sawmill's planned re- operation.

"Most people are living in fear following the arrest of 17 protesters and continued intimidation," he said, adding the number of refugees was expected to increase as people continued to be threatened.

Erwin said locals had been threatened with arrest and prosecution unless they stopped protesting against the operation of the sawmill.

The 17 residents were arrested for their alleged involvement in the ransacking of the office of the head of the Sirait Uruk district early last week.

Chief spokesman for the North Sumatra Provincial Police, Sr. Comr. Amrin Karim denied the allegations of intimidation on Monday, saying security personnel were deployed to restore security and order and to enhance security in the town.

"Our main task is to restore security and order and protect national assets and the local people due to the increasing protests at the sawmills," he said, citing that police had no interests in the sawmills.

Asked to comment on the arrest of protesters, Amrin said they were arrested because they ransacked the district office building. He said those who orchestrated the ransacking were identified as Musa Gurning and Krisman.

Hundreds of local people staged a demonstration early last week to protest the resumption of operations at TPL following the government's decision to temporarily halt its operation due to environmental and social problems.

The local people which were supported by a number of local non-governmental organizations and several churches, have rejected the sawmill operation as they fear it would result it environmental and social problems as it had done in the past.

The IIU had been blamed for waste water that has polluted Asahan River. The factory has polluted the air, according to local residents, causing skin diseases and respiratory problems.

The company which was built with the approval of officials from president Soeharto's regime had faced protests for its insignificant contribution to the local development program in the past. The company has also failed to carry out a social development program for local people living around the plant.

Walhi in cooperation with the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) has set up a team of lawyers to accompany those arrested.

Jhonson Pandjaitan who led the lawyers' team, said he would file a lawsuit against the police for the arrest his team considered was conducted arbitrarily.

"The arrest was conducted to pressure local people and their leaders so that they will no longer protest about TPL's operation," he said.