In 2009, a pulpwood plantation (HTI) development company affiliated with Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL), one of the world’s largest paper companies, is clearing natural peat swamp forest with likely High Conservation Values under legally questionable circumstances.

Death of a palm oil worker last week in concession belonging to Malaysian-based company, PT Tabung Haji Indo Plantations (PT THIP, under TH Plantations Berhad) in Pelangiran subdistrict, Riau, have voiced deep concerns on massive deforestation and threats of human-wildlife conflict.

A local environmental organization accused Asia Pulp & Paper (APP/Sinar Mas) breached its Forest Conservation Policy and forestry law following a new finding on its pulpwood supplier’s concession that found operating excavator draining peat canal and construct road.

A civil code trial on alleged pollution and environmental damage that involved one supplier of Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) belonging to tycoon Sukanto Tanoto’s Royal Golden Eagle group took place at the Pekanbaru Court in January, media reported.

Eyes on the Forest investigation last month found natural forest clearing in concession of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) supplier, PT Riau Indo Agropalma (RIA), in Kerumutan forest block, an important Sumatran tiger habitat in Riau province.

EoF News (PEKANBARU)— In the latest example of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) threatening the survival of the Sumatran tiger, a tiger living inside a pulpwood plantation concession of APP was recently caught, raising questions from environmentalists.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—Following the death of an exhausted Sumatran tiger in a concession of Asia Pulp & Paper affiliated company in Pelalawan District, Riau, in August, fresh human-tiger conflict broke out in another concession of the group recently.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Coalition of Eyes on the Forest today published Investigative Report on two Asia Pulp & Paper (APP)/ Sinar Mas Group (SMG) wood suppliers who conducted natural forest clearance in Kerumutan peat forest.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Residents of a village in Kerumutan block forest met parliamentarians from Riau Province Legislative Council’s (DPRD) Commission A on Tuesday here to file complaints over land dispute against PT Sumatera Riang Lestari, an industrial timber plantation company associated to Asian Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL).

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—Three officials at Indragiri Hilir Forestry Service were questioned by the Riau Province Forestry Service for allegedly manipulating hardwood tax from timber cleared by PT Sumatera Riang Lestari, an associated company to Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL).

Judges of a court case in Tembilahan District Court, Indragiri Hilir District, Riau, Sumatra last week (Oct 8) sentenced two poachers (M. Ajad bin Abdullah & Mistar bin Ajad) for 1 year imprisonment and Rp 2 million fine for the killing of three Sumatran tigers.

A court case involving the killing of three Sumatran tigers will come into the sixth session next Monday (10/8) in Tembilahan District Court, Indragiri Hilir District, Riau, Sumatra. The trial against two defendants takes place following the tiger killings that occured in Kerumutan forest block in District Indragiri Hilir, Riau this February.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—Eyes on the Forest coalition today is releasing an Investigative Report conducted in May and June 2009 in Kerumutan block forest where EoF found PT Sumatera Riang Lestari, a company associated to Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL), is clearing natural peat swamp forest with likely High Conservation Values under legally questionable circumstances.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)-- Villagers in Kerumutan forest block, Riau province, accused acacia plantation development conducted by an Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) associated company of causing thousands of coconut trees in 1,500 hectare-land killed off by Rhino beetle [xylotrupes gideon].

PEKANBARU (EoF News)-- Villagers in human-tiger conflict area complained that timber companies drive threat of human-tiger conflict to residents following several incidents occurred in Kerumutan forest block.

Kebanyakan insiden konflik antara manusia dan harimau di Provinsi Riau dalam kurun 12 tahun terakhir telah terjadi di dekat kawasan hutan yang ditebangi oleh perusahaan-perusahaan kelompok raksasa pabrik kertas Asia Pulp and Paper (APP)/Sinar Mas Group (SMG), demikian menurut analisa data konflik manusia-harimau.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Minister of Forestry denounced the killings of four Sumatran tigers in Kerumutan forest landscape of Riau province and urged the police to probe the incidents as provincial conservation agency suspected of poaching practice drove such a crime.

In the wake of the deaths of six people from tiger attacks in Sumatra’s Jambi Province in less than a month, conservationists are calling for an urgent crackdown on the clearing of natural forest in the province as a matter of public safety.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)--- The chief of Riau Police raided a subsidiary of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), PT Bina Duta Laksana who clearcuts natural forest on peat swamp with more than 3-meter depth last weekend. The concession is situated on Kerumutan forest block or in Gaung of Indragiri Hulu district. The Riau Police Chief, Brig.-Gen. Sutjiptadi, showed a documentary film performing his raid at the company's site to the participants of Judicial Workshop on Forest Fire in Pekanbaru Tuesday. "I told the company's [PT Bina Duta Laksana] boss to stop this clearcutting and I am responsible [for the action]. Its license is clearly breaching the laws," the chief told at the workshop. He and the team of illegal logging fighting flied a helicopter to reach the remote area in Kerumutan forest on Saturday.

Pekanbaru (EoF News) – Eyes on the Forest, a coalition of three environmental NGOs in Riau, Sumatra releases its Investigative Report February 2007 today. The EoF Investigation found Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) to be involved in forest clearance operations in a concession in Kerumutan forest block, as it continued the report of November 2006 edition.

Pekanbaru (EoF News) – Eyes on the Forest, a coalition of three environmental NGOs in Riau, Sumatra releases its Investigative Report November 2006 today. The EoF Investigation found Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) to be involved in forest clearance operations in a concession in Kerumutan forest block.

Pekanbaru (EoF News) – Coalition of three environmental NGOs in Riau, Eyes on the Forest, releases Investigative Report July 2006 today. The EoF’s investigation found violation allegedly perpetrated by both Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL) and Asia Pulp & Paper (APP).

Pekanbaru (EoF News) --- Eyes on the Forest, a coalition of three NGOs in Riau, published Investigative Report June 2006 today. The investigation in this edition was conducted in Giam Siak Kecil, Senepis, and Kerumutan forest blocks. Due to the investigation related mostly to companies associated to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), EoF asked response from the related company to our findings through a letter EoF sent earlier this week. APP responded to EoF investigation as a three-page letter dated September 27 th 2006 sent by Aida Greenbury, Vice Director of Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement.

Today Eyes on the Forest (EoF) released its report of December 2005 investigation . It confirmed that Asia Pulp and Paper’s (APP) partners logged in Giam Siak Kecil Forest Block; Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Ltd’s (APRIL) partner logged in Kerumutan Forest Block; and PT. Sumatera Timber Utama Damai’s partners logged in the buffer zone of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. In response to the findings, APP and APRIL have sent their comments to EoF.