Khairul Ikhwan D/Fitri & GB, Medan – Efendy Panjaitan, North Sumatra Executive Director of the Indonesian Forum on Environment, known as Walhi, said they, environmental activists and the local community continued to oppose the reopening of the infamous PT Inti Indorayon Utama (PT IIU) pulp and paper factory.
Speaking with Detik in Medan, Thursday evening, Efendy said there were numerous reasons why the factory should not operate and that these far outweighed short term profitability considerations. "We demand PT IIU to be properly close down, not only temporarily," Efendy said. He said that reopening the pulp and paper factory located in Sosor Ladang, Porsea subdistrict, Toba Samosir, North Sumatra, would incite fresh tension and social conflict.
Effendy said conditions for local people had improved markedly PT IIU was closed down. Better rice crops and fishing were recorded and communal tensions have been decreasing. Air quality had also improved and the people felt they could at last breath fresh air.
He also strongly disagreed that the factory was only experiencing technical problems, such as a limited capacity in handling waste. The factory and environment could not coexist, the factory endangered the environment and surrounding ecosystem which would be felt for generations.
The issue of discharging PT IIU 7000 employees could not be compared to the long term impact of the factory's operation. "All this time, Indorayon has had a very bad impact," Efendy explained.
PT IIU has been the focus of local protests from the surrounding community backed by environmental activists since its establishment in 1986. It has had a serious impact on the environment and thus on the productivity of small scale industries and the health of locals. However, the local community is also split, a portion of locals-particularly workers at the plant-support its reopening. The clash finally erupted in June 2000 and claimed one life.
During Habibie's short tenure as president, activists and the community finally succeeded in persuading the government to close down the factory. However, it did not last long. The government is currently considering lifting the ban on PT IIU which has rekindled community and NGO protests. Each year PT IIU clears raw timber from 70.800 ha. It holds Forest Concession Rights to 269.000 ha.