Village heads threaten to quit over pulp mill issue

Village heads threaten to quit over pulp mill issue

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

A total of 47 village heads from three districts of Toba-Samosir
regency in North Sumatra province have threatened to quit in a
protest against the central government, which has allowed the PT
Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) pulp mill to resume operations in the
regency town of Porsea.

The village heads set out for Jakarta on Monday to bring their
demands to the relevant authorities in line with increasing
opposition to the pulp mill, which resumed operations earlier
this year.

They said they were traveling to Jakarta to join forces with
non-governmental and mass organizations to protest against the
leadership of President Megawati, who they claimed had ignored
the people's aspirations.

Sogar Manurung, head of Janji Matogu village, said they were
disappointed with the present regime, which he claimed had made
the wrong decision on the pulp mill.

"There is no point in us continuing to go about our everyday
affairs if the government does not listen to the views of our
people, who have consistently demanded a permanent closure of the
pulp mill," he said.

Risman Manurung, chief of Lumban Kuala village, lambasted the
Toba-Samosir regent, who had attempted to prohibit them from
going to Jakarta, saying they were not appointed by the
government but elected by the people, whose aspirations they
would continue to fight for.

He said they would join up with mass organizations such as
Nadhlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Communion of
Churches (PGI), and environmental NGOs to file their demands with
the President, House of Representatives, National Commission on
Human Rights, and the National Police.

TPL, the new name for PT Inti Indorayon Utama (IIU), was
allowed to reopen in 2002 based on an agreement with the
government that it would comply with environmental law, and
conduct social and community development programs to empower
local people and small-scale companies. Under the agreement, its
environmental performance will be audited annually.

The operation of the pulp mill, which first commenced in 1989,
had been suspended since October 1998, following strong protests
from the people, student groups and churches in the province
after the resignation of former president Suharto in May, 1998.

Located only six kilometers outside Porsea town, the mill
sparked strong opposition among local people who alleged it was
damaging the environment. Besides damaging the roads in the
province, the pulp mill was also blamed for river and air
pollution in the regency, the felling of forests around Lake Toba
and decreasing water levels in the lake.

Dozens of people were killed in clashes with security
personnel or put in jail for their protests against the mill.