Palembang, August 23, 2021 -- Over 30 civil society organizations on Monday sent a letter to investors of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), part of the Sinar Mas Group, explaining why the expansion of APP’s OKI Pulp and Paper Mill in Sumatra, Indonesia would risk the respiratory health for millions of people in Southeast Asia and cause more greenhouse gas emissions than many countries on an annual basis.

Rabu (9/9), Majelis Hakim Pengadilan Tindak Pidana Korupsi (PN Tipikor) Pekanbaru, memberikan vonis bebas kepada Legal Manager PT Duta Palma, Suheri Tirta, yang sebelumnya dituntut jaksa 4 tahun penjara dalam perkara suap alih fungsi hutan di Provinsi Riau.

Mewabahnya virus Covid-19 ternyata tidak menyurutkan aktivitas penebangan hutan secara ilegal. Juni 2020, temuan Jikalahari di Desa Pulau Padang, Kabupaten Kuantan Singingi, mengindikasikan adanya rencana penebangan hutan alam seluas 1.565 hektar yang akan dilakukan oleh PT Nusa Prima Manunggal (NPM), anak perusahaan Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL).

Produksi pulp and paper merupakan salah satu penyebab utama deforestasi dan degradasi hutan gambut di Sumatera. Menurut perkiraan, APP dan APRIL sudah memusnahkan 2 juta hektar hutan di Propinsi Riau sejak pertengahan 1980-an, yang merupakan setengah dari hutan hujan tropis yang ada di Riau saat itu. produsen pulp dan kertas yang terkemuka di Indonesia tersebut dan anak perusahaannya sangat mengandalkan kayu rimba campuran (mixed tropical hardwood atau MTH) yang berasal dari kegiatan pembukaan hutan alam.

Analysis on fire hotspots distribution as detected by satellite NASA FIRM VIIRS showed that Asia Pulp & Paper’s timber suppliers dominated the list of timber corporate group razed by fires in South Sumatra province during October 2019.

Jakarta, 15 May 2019 -- A group of NGOs under the Anti Forest Mafia Coalition, including WWF-Indonesia, published a joint report highlighting that Sinar Mas Group’s Asia Pulp & Paper (SMG/APP) continues to be involved in deforestation, peatland destruction and fires even after they had committed to zero deforestation in 2013.

Hasil pengecekan lapangan oleh Eyes on the Forest menemukan adanya kebakaran hutan dan lahan di konsesi Hutan Tanaman Industri (HTI) di kabupaten Rokan Hilir dan kawasan prioritas restorasi gambut serta areal peta indikatif penundaan pemberian izin baru (PIPPIB) pekan lalu.

A legislator from Riau questioned the government who used helicopter facilities from a forestry and plantation company to monitor forest and land fires in the province.

Sejumlah lembaga swadaya masyarakat (LSM) menyampaikan pernyataan bersama dalam menyambut 5 tahun diluncurkannya Kebijakan Konservasi Hutan (FCP) oleh Asia Pulp & Paper (APP). Pernyataan Bersama menyimpulkan APP belum berada pada jalur yang tepat dan kemajuan pelaksanaan komitmen tersebut belum memadai.

Several green organizations criticized Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) for lack of progress in some areas which made the company has yet to be on sustainable track, while its Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) is entering the fifth year this week.

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.

Today, WWF-Indonesia together with Auriga, Forest Peoples Programme, Hutan Kita Institute, Jikalahari, KKI Warsi, Rainforest Action Network, Titian, WALHI Riau, WALHI Jambi, Wetlands International, and Woods& Wayside International published Evaluating the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Performance of Sinar Mas Group (SMG) and Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) Companies-Criteria and Indicators for Assessing and Verifying Performance.

Eyes on the Forest coalition have launched its compilation book on investigative reports one month ago, 23 October.

Thirty Indonesian NGOs and coalitions have sent a letter to 20 banks in China and Europe last week in responding to “the current situation of PT RAPP cancellation, continuing PT RAPP (APRIL main supplier) poor adherence to Indonesia regulation regarding peat protection and management,” Jikalahari said on his website.

Hari ini WWF-Indonesia bersama dengan Auriga, Forest Peoples Programme, Hutan Kita Institute, Jikalahari, KKI Warsi, Rainforest Action Network, Titian, Walhi Riau, Walhi Jambi, Wetlands International, dan Woods& Wayside International mengeluarkan “Evaluating the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance Performance of Sinar Mas Group (SMG) and Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) Companies -Criteria and Indicators for Assessing and Verifying Performance”.

Indra Pelani (23) of Lubuk Mandarsah was killed by security guards hired by APP’s sister company PT. Wirakarya Sakti (WKS) in Bukit Tigapuluh landscape, Jambi Province, Sumatra. The village has been in conflict with WKS for a long time over their land tenure for 3,000 ha.

South Sumatra environmental organizations published their monitoring report on “APP’s FPIC implementation on affected communities surrounding PT. OKI Pulp Mill” last month.

Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) allegedly violated its self-declared Sustainable Forest Management Policy (SFMP) commitment as it continued natural forest clearance in Bagan Melibur village of Padang Island, Riau province, an environmental group said.

Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL), a Singapore-based giant pulp and one of leading actors in Indonesia deforestation, has allegedly violated its self-declared Sustainable Forest Management Policy (SFMP) commitment in two areas: North Kalimantan and Riau. The violations put more doubts on its SFMP which was just announced on 28 January 2014.

Independent evaluation by NGOs reveals fundamental flaws in SVLK allowing certification of illegal and unsustainable timber products

Today marks the 1st year anniversary of the Forest Conservation Policy published by the Sinar Mas Group’s Asia Pulp & Paper (SMG/APP), yet benefit of these commitments’ remain a big question. Our hope is getting weaker but not stronger.

World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) issued an advisory to buyers and investors of Royal Golden Eagle/Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (RGE/APRIL) following announcement by APRIL last week to apply its Sustainable Forest Management Policy.

Jikalahari and Walhi (Friends of the Earth) Riau suspect the launch of Sustainable Forest Management Policy by APRIL today (Tuesday, 28 January 2014) in Jakarta, as a trick to destroy the remaining natural forest embedded with their illegal and problematic permits in Riau province.

Bengkalis district government set up a team to verify land dispute in Rupat Island this week in attempt to mediate conflict between PT Sumatera Riang Lestari (SRL), a timber supplier associated to Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL) against Rupat Island (Pulau Rupat) residents.

Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) timber suppliers are protested by communities in several pulpwood concessions in Riau Province, Sumatra, early this month, over long-standing conflicts between villagers and companies.

Civil society groups in Riau Province condemned violence shown by PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP), a subsidiary and timber supplier of Asian Pacific Resource International Limited (APRIL) who violently dispersed Gunung Sahilan community’s land dispute protest on 6 March by hitting motorbikes and assaulted the locals.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)-- Residents of Pulau Padang of Meranti District urged Riau Legislative Council (DPRD) to help halt operation of PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP) in the island for land dispute and environmental concerns.

EoF News (PEKANBARU)-- Meranti District councilors said Tuesday they would submit a letter to the Minister of Forestry to evaluate the operation by pulp and paper timber in Pulau Rangsang, an island off Riau eastern coast.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—Jikalahari, environmental organization’s network to save natural forest in Riau, sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week to order the police and prosecutors office to prosecute 14 timber companies which allegedly committing environmental destruction.

Walhi Riau, Scale Up, JIKALAHARI, Greenpeace and Forum Komunikasi Pemuka Masyarakat Riau (FKPMR/Riau Community Leaders Forum) ) paid condolences and strongly denounced the violent incident claiming one casualty and another one was hospitalized with heavy wounded in Kenegerian Pucuk Rantau village, Kuantan Singingi district, Riau province on Tuesday.

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).

Husin, a head family of Orang Rimba who inhabits in Suo-suo village of southern Bukit Tigapuluh, in Jambi, complained over 45-km logging road that constructed by PT Wira Karya Sakti (WKS), an APP/Sinar Mas Group associated company.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—An independent fact-finding team set up by Riau community group, local students and non-governmental organizations urged the police Monday to probe thoroughly bloody incident between pulpwood company PT Sumatera Silva Lestari and Tangun villagers which killed three residents.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—At least three villagers were killed following bloody clash between community and security guards of a pulpwood plantation company, PT Sumatera Silva Lestari (SSL) in Rokan Hulu district, Riau Province, a local website reported today.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)—National human rights commission has found alleged human rights abuse committed by PT Arara Abadi, main pulpwood supplier for Asia Pulp & Paper in Riau, against communities in Riau as the body visited four villages in separate districts last week, media reports said.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)— Jambi Province Government determined a “status quo” to land situated in Bukit Tigapuluh forest landscape, Jambi, where Asia Pulp & Paper’s (APP) subsidiary PT Wira Karya Sakti (WKS) has conflicted with villagers of Lubuk Mandrasah of Tebo district in managing the 26,500 hectare area.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)--- A hearing between district legislative council (DPRD) of Kampar and PT Arara Abadi, a forestry company associated to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) last week disclosed that the subsidiary are sued by community for 16 land dispute cases covering 20,000 hectares totally in the province.

(Pekanbaru, EoF News) – Riau provincial legislative council (DPRD Riau) pledged to forward complaint filed by villagers of Pinggir sub-district of Bengkalis over alleged land seizure committed by PT Arara Abadi, a plantation timber company belongs to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP).

After the Chairman of Gading Permai Small Farmers Business Group, Haji Usman Maun, reported to the Kampar police by RAPP at the forefront of the development of illegal palm oil plantations in the area which claimed by PT RAPP, the management of PT RAPP agreed to meet the Gading Permai community on May 1, 2006. However, instead of sending company officials to attend the meeting, PT RAPP mobilized 300 people in black uniforms to attack, destroy and burn down the people’s houses.