Thousands stage protest outside Indorayon

Thousands stage protest outside Indorayon

PORSEA, North Sumatra (JP): Ten thousand locals, religious
leaders and student activists demonstrated on Saturday demanding
the closure of PT Inti Indorayon Utama pulp and rayon mill.

Under the watchful eyes of thousands of security personnel,
the protesters formed a long parade as they peacefully marched
the 10 kilometers to the outskirts of Porsea, where the listed
company's plant is located.

The demonstrators came from neighboring towns such as Balige,
Parapat, Palipi, Pangururan, Siborong-borong and regency capital
Tarutung. They claim the plant is environmentally hazardous and
should therefore be closed.

All roads leading to the plant were filled with a sea of men
and women holding national flags and banners reading "Reject
audit", "Close down Indorayon" and "Indorayon poisons Samosir
islanders", among other claims.

Locals have staged a series of demonstrations over the last
few months to protest the reopening of the pulp factory last
October.

The government allowed the mill to resume operations following
a temporary halt in order to let an official team audit the
company. The team's findings would help the government determine
whether the plant should be closed down permanently.

However, the independent team, led by state-owned PT
Sucofindo, has yet to audit the company.

Locals have opposed the audit, saying it was common knowledge
that the mill had caused environmental deterioration in its 10
years of operation and therefore an audit was unnecessary.

Sixty-two percent of the company's shares are owned by
Singaporean company Asia-Pacific International Resources Ltd.
which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, while 38 percent
is owned by the public, cooperatives and Raja Garuda Mas Group.

Audit

Locals say that in addition to causing a bad odor over a 10-
kilometer radius, the company also felled trees in North
Tapanuli, causing rivers to dry up and the water level of Lake
Toba to drastically fall.

Rev. Miduk Sirait, chief of the Toba Batak Protestant Church
in Porsea, said local religious leaders joined the demonstration
out of concern for the suffering the pulp mill caused locals.

"The people here have suffered much and the plant's presence
has damaged the Batak people's culture, plus the environment has
badly deteriorated," he said.

Maralo Hasibuan, a preacher of the Indonesian Christian Church
shared Miduk's view, saying the company had no other alternative
but to close down the factory.

Almost all shops and kiosks in the small town were closed in
fear of fresh clashes between demonstrators and security
personnel.

The demonstrators dispersed gradually after being denied
access to the plant by security personnel. The demonstration
lasted six hours. (21/rms)