Walhi sues Japanese govt

Walhi sues Japanese govt

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said
Saturday that the hearing of a lawsuit against the Japanese
government over alleged environmental destruction around the
Kotopanjang dam, West Sumatra, would begin on July 3 in the Tokyo
District Court.

Some 8,000 Kotopanjang people who were relocated due to the
construction of the dam also filed a similar lawsuit.

Walhi said the development of Kotopanjang dam, which straddles
the border between West Sumatra and Riau, had been completed in
1996, and had led to significant damage to local flora and fauna.

The dam was constructed with loans from the Japanese
government. -- Antara