A Andri/FW & LM, Jakarta – For the umpteenth time, hundreds of representatives of the Batak Toba tribe went to the North Sumatra Provincial Legislative Council demanding the closure of PT. Indorayon Utama Wednesday. As a symbol of the Batak community's resistance to the factory and their connection to the land, they handed over traditional knives and cloths to representatives of the North Sumatra government.
Chairman of the North Sumatra Provincial Legislative Council, Yunus Harahap, was presented with a Pisau Halasan or a Halasan knife by Batak Toba representatives wearing traditional clothing who arrived at the Legislative Council office around 10.30am. They also danced and played traditional music to express their protest in the office's yard.
According to Prof. Dr. Bungaran Antonius Simanjuntak, a sociologist from Medan State University, the Batak Toba tribe is fed up with the presence of the PT IIU pulp and paper factory and the knife symbolises their resistance.
After handing over the knife, the tribespeople went to the offices of the Governor of North Sumatra, T. Rizal Nurdin. Upon arriving, they presented the Governor with traditional Batak cloth known as ulos. Ulos, which represents guardianship, symbolised their hope that the Governor would protect the community which has been harmed by PT IIU.
Speaking after the ceremony, Governor Rizal Nurdin said that the presence of PT IIU was not profitable for the area. "Apart from that, since its establishment, PT IIU has violated the traditions and customs of the Batak Toba tribe as well as damaged the environment," he said.
Rizal admitted that PT IIU has a bad track record and has too many unfinished problems since its establishment in 1986. However, Rizal appealed to the community not to be emotional over the case because that would incite conflict within the community.
The Batak Toba people live primarily in the Toba Samosir municipality, near Porsea, where the PT IIU paper and pulp factory is located. PT IIU's presence in the area has long been protested by locals because it has polluted the river which eventually impacted on their health and livelihood. Backed by Indonesia's largest environmental forum, Walhi, the local residents have fought for its closure for many years.
PT IIU was actually closed in 1997 after relentless protests. However, PT IIU was soon after reopened amid claims of favoritism by the government because the plant had yet to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact study.
Conflict between the Batak Toba tribe and PT IIU escalated last month when a highschool student was shot dead by police during a rally by local people on 21 July. The bloody conflict was triggered when 13 people from the Porsea area were kidnapped by a group of unidentified 'ninjas'. The kidnappings angered local residents of Porsea who later tried to attack others they believed had sided with PT IIU.
In the following days, Porsea community leaders and Walhi urged the government to immediately close down PT IIU to curb further violence. So far, the conflict has claimed 1 life while the whereabouts of some 40 people remains unknown.