Subdistrict chiefs to be punished for complaining

Subdistrict chiefs to be punished for complaining

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

All 47 subdistrict chiefs in Toba Samosir regency are facing
punishment, possibly dismissal, from Regent Sahala Tampubolon
following their trip to Jakarta, to demand the closure of PT Toba
Pulp Lestari (TPL) in the regency town of Porsea.

Tampubolon said on Tuesday that the subdistrict chiefs did not
seek his permission, therefore their action was considered
illegal.

"They have no manners. As subdistrict chiefs, they could have
come to me as their superior in the regency. Do they think that
by coming to Jakarta and staging a protest they can change the
central government decision?" he told The Jakarta Post.

The subdistrict chiefs were not permitted to go to Jakarta as
stated in a letter issued by Lumbanjulu district chief M.
Sitompul on June 3. The letter stated that no subdistrict chiefs
can leave without written permission from Tampubolon.

However, the subdistrict chiefs managed to arrive in Jakarta
last week to bring their demands to the National Commission on
Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the House of Representatives as well
as other organizations including Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah
and the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI).

They demanded that the relevant authorities close down TPL,
withdraw police officers from Porsea and that Komnas HAM set up
an investigating team on human rights abuse in the town.

Tampubolon said he would penalize the subdistrict chiefs as
soon as they arrived back in Medan.

He suggested local residents take legal action should they
object to the central government's endorsement of the
controversial pulp and paper mill TPL, previously known as PT
Indorayon Inti Utama, instead of staging protests in Jakarta.

Responding to the regent's threat, Janji Matogu subdistrict
head Sogar Manurung said that the subdistrict chiefs would take
legal action. He also questioned the legal basis of their
possible dismissal.

Manurung said that they had received a guarantee from Komnas
HAM, signed by deputy chairwoman Zoemrotin, that they would not
receive any administrative punishment from the regent nor
intimidation from the police.

"Should the regent dismiss us, we will sue him through the
State Administrative Court," he told the Post by telephone from
Jakarta.

Executive director of the local branch of the Indonesian Forum
for the Environment (Walhi) Herwin Nasution said that he was
ready to help the subdistrict chiefs in taking legal action if
they are dismissed by the regent.

"We (the subdistrict chiefs) don't need to get permission from
the regent to go to Jakarta. We have delivered the objection to
the operation of TPL based on the people's mandate," Manurung
said.

TPL was allowed to reopen in March 2002 after the company
agreed to comply with environmental laws and conduct social and
community development programs to empower locals and small-scale
companies. Under the agreement, the company performance will be
audited annually.

The operation of the pulp mill, which first commenced in 1989,
was suspended in October 1998 following protests from locals due
to allegations of environmental damage and also rights
violations.

Two people were shot dead when local residents rallied against
TPL, a unit of the Radja Garuda Mas group, four years ago.