1. (Angkasa) Case of the arrest of acacia loggers on PT Arara Abadi's plantation concession
On Feb 2 2001, AA Forest Security (PAMHUT AA), in the process of a routine patrol, surprised a group of community members who were logging acacia on PT AA concession, District Sorek, Block RKT yr 200-2001, Location 96, 104, 105, 109 and 110, complete with evidence, among other things, several trucks, acacia logs, and village wood transport documents (SAKR) that included the names of the receiving industry.
The 58 illegal loggers, who were from the villages of Belam Merah and Angkasa, were taken along with the evidence seized by PAMHUT AA directly to the Kampar district police office in Bangkinang and processed according to the relevant regulations and it was found that 52 people were implicated in the logging activity.
At that time no violence occurred that resulting in serious injury, as it has been rumored.
At the current time, the illegal logging charges are still being processed by the Kampar district police.
In the meantime, APPEL [Aliansi Peduli Pelalawann The Pelalawan Alliance for Concern--a local NGO and community organization] demanded that the loggers be released and that AA drop the charges, but AA did not agree to those demands.
2. Violence against residents of Betung village
For the purpose of securing company operations especially the transport of pulpwood from District Nilo to the IKPP mill in Perawang, which is frequently threatened by donation posts, which amounted to posts for collecting illegal taxes on the transport of pulpwood, PAMHUT AA endeavored to open the donation posts and secure the transport channels, which all this time had experienced many obstructions.
The disturbance to pulpwood transport had a negative impact on the income of the truck drivers and the food stall owners along the road. Settlement of the problem by means of persuasion/ consultative consensus had been followed, and still the obstructions were still encountered, such that drivers and the field employees became fed up.
At the time of the operation to secure the road (3 Feb 2001), there occurred a spontaneous and accidental clash and violent excess caused by uncontrollable emotion such that several residents (5 people) of Betung fell victim. For all of these victims, represented by Jasa, there has already been a "family" settlement [an out of court agreement] in the form of "heart soothing money", medicine, transport costs, compensation, etc.
The demands made by Sulkanain (Tain) due to his loss from the destruction of his house were also settled by "family means". Meanwhile those who had carried out the violence have been processed legally in the National Court in Bangkinang and these two were found guilty and were sentenced.
On March 3, 2001 following a call to arms undertaken by APPEL in Kerinci (Pelalawan District), APPEL and LAP [Traditional Melayu Petalangan Institute, Lembaga Adat Petalangan] made a blockade and seized several pulpwood trucks on the Sorek-Kerinci road near the Kampar River bridge.
The actions taken include:
· 54 trucks containing pulpwood were seized
· 1 truck was turned over and burned
· "Sweeping" of the AA employees traveling along the Terentung Maruk (unclear printing)/Penkalan Kerinci road
· Injury to one of the employees such that he was hospitalized in the Awal Bros Hospital
The trucks were detained for roughly 1 week resulting in more loss of incomes for the field staff and obstructed the flow of pulpwood to the mill.
3. Case of [land]Claims in Mandiangin village
Returning security and order to the work area (Block RKT 1999/2000 ) from illegal logging activity by perpetrators in Mandiangin that had resulted in the seizure by Mandiangin residents of several company vehicles (+_ 33 trucks and 2 motorcycles) and 1computer. To gain the release of the vehicles the company first attempted persuasive/educative methods but these were not successful so an approach using a little "show of force" by the drivers of the seized trucks was followed. Even this last effort did not produce the physical conflict or violence or destruction of community property, as it has been rumored.
Subsequently, they {residents of Mandiangin] pressed charges in the National Court in Bengkalis for the return of the wood that they had cut from AA's concession, which in legal fact belongs to AA based on the RKT and IPK licenses that were legally issued by the Riau Provincial Forestry and Estate Crops Office. [The community lost the case]
4. Case of Securing Pantaicermin/Tapung
On 22 Feb 2001 it was again discovered that there was logging and transport of acacia logs from the AA concession, Tapung district, which was being done by CV Biwatsu Oriental Semesta (BOS) and being protected behind documents under the name of village cooperative Dwikarya.
This case was reported to the provincial police (POLDA) and under interrogation the loggers admitted that they had received the logging license (IPK) from the district forestry office in Kampar under the name of Kopni Gotong Royong for the purposes of logging for CV BOS. In order to transport the wood for CV BOS they used a village wood transport license (SAKR) issued by the district forestry office to the village co-op Dwikarya.
Riau provincial police are still processing this case.
28 Original on file with Human Rights Watch.