Violent and Anti-Human Acts of PT Riau Andalan Pulp Paper

Community Alliance for Pulp-Paper Advocacy (CAPPA)
To :
Director of PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (PT RAPP)
Ph. +62-761-95529, Fax. +62-761-95681
CAPPA's Stance on
Violent and Anti-Human Acts of PT Riau Andalan Pulp Paper (PT RAPP) against the community of Hamlet III, Gading Village, Kampar Kiri Sub-District, Kampar District, Riau Province

"Civil violence takes toll again"

Violation of human rights and the taking of law into one's own hand recurred in full view of public. Civil society, whose socioeconomic political rights are protected and respected by international community and conventions, had to be victims of violent acts again. Similar cases have been occurring in Riau and other provinces of Sumatera and throughout Indonesia. Apparently, these violent acts have been the common practice of plantation and pulp-paper companies. The violence and vandalism by PT Riau Andalan Pulp Paper (PT RAPP) via its security guards took some tolls. The guards turned violent and destroyed the property of the villagers - houses, vehicles and even religious buildings. The violence did not end yet. Some villagers were taken hostage and knocked down by the company's cars, inducing a deep psychological trauma to the
others, who ran away for their lives. Although violent acts by private militia and security guards have been occurring in Riau and other provinces, the recent violent act by these 'foreign heroes' is, however, a real shock to us. Our concern and solidarity have driven us to express our stance, as follows:
· That the company has given way, directly or indirectly, to the suppression of the socioeconomic and political rights of
the local people by deliberately making use of the criminal actions to resolve conflicts;
· That the company with its security guards has deliberately demonstrated complete disrespect to the government and the
enforcers by excluding them in its conflict-resolution effort;
· That, by taking the law into its hand and organizing such an open and violent attack, the company has humiliated the Police as the official enforcers and put them in charge of crime by commission.
· That the violence and the vandalism by the company are cruel deeds and are against the Preamble and the Articles of the
Declaration of Human Rights, among others, Article 5 "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" and Article 9 "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile";
· That the criminal act mentioned above itself is basically a violation of Articles, 5, 6, 9, 36, 71, 72 and 74 of Law No. 39
Year 1999 on Human Rights, and the violation should be used as the basis of legal processes against it;
· That the company has neglected part of its responsibility to uphold human rights, and other standards during the
incident, the responsibility of which is also acknowledged in and adopted by international principles on consent and ethical codes such as the International Labour Organizations, Tripartite Declaration of Principles for Multinational and Social Policy, The UN Global Compact on Corporate Responsibility, and the Joint U.S. State Department and U.K. Foreign Office
Voluntary Principles on Security and Humans Rights;
· That, ICESCR on VIOLATION requires the government should take strict measures against violation so as not to declare that the government cannot ensure its citizens' lives and safety in the framework of upholding human rights.
Based on the above viewpoints, we strictly condemn the violence and the vandalism by RAPP, and demand the government to:
1. Take strict measures against the perpetrators and bring them to court for all the violation of human rights they have perpetrated;
2. Take strict measures to force the company to give material and non-material compensation to the victims;
3. Make use of human rights instrument to take strict measures against the violence committed by foreign security guards, which has ruined the local social structure;
4. Force the company to express their apology orally as well as in ink in the local, national and international mass media;
5. Take any necessary action to uphold respect for human rights.

Jambi, 16 May 2006
Community Alliance for Pulp Paper Advocacy (CAPPA)
Rivani Noor (Facilitator; rivani@cappa.or.id)
Kasmadi Kasyim (Sumatera Program Officer ; cak_kas@cappa.or.id)
On Behalf of :
Zulfhami, Coordinator, Jikalahari, Riau
Helmi, Sekreatris, Pusat Studi Hukum & Kebijakan Otonomi Daerah (PSHK ODA),
Jambi, Indonesia
Edi Zuhdi, Director, Yayasan Keadilan Rakyat (YKR), Jambi, Indonesia
Danielle van Oijen, Forest Campaigner, Milieudefensie/FOE Netherlands,
Netherlands
Peter Gerhardt, Robin Wood, Germany
Fatra Budianto, Director, Hakiki, Riau
Isal Wardhana, Deputy Director, WALHI East Kalimantan, East Kalimantan
AW Boyce, Wahana Liar Foundation, West Sumatera
Berry N Forqan, Director, WALHI South Kalimantan, South Kalimantan
Feri Irawan, Director, WALHI Jambi, Jambi
Frances Carr, Campaigner, Down to Earth: the International Campaign for
Ecological Justice in Indonesia, United Kingdom
Mickael B Hoelman, Jakarta, Indonesia
For Furthure Contact :
Rivani Noor (rivani@cappa.or.id)
Kasmadi Kasyim
Zulfahmi
CC :
Presiden RI
Kapolri
Menteri Kehutanan
Gubernur Riau
Komnas HAM
Human Right Watch (HRW)
Amnesty International (AI)
International Paper Buyer
International Creditor (Bank, ECA)
International NGO network
Media Network