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Excerpt from a press
release by 5 May 1999 Land disputes caused by APRIL, Indonesian partner of UPM-Kymmene, have once again escalated in the province of Riau, Sumatra. According to local press (Utasan, 9 April and 19 April 1999 ) workers of APRIL have attacked villagers demanding compensations in Kota Baru, southern Riau. Villagers were said to repel the attack, but the incident has lead to more tension in the area. APRIL is in the process of planting thousands of hectares lands with pulp plantation in an area used by locals. Locals have not been asked whether they want to give up their lands. The company has neither paid the compensations villagers have requested. Two weeks earlier inhabitants of near by Muara Petai village protested against APRIL's decision to refuse villagers the right to use road network in the area. The company said it made the decision to prevent illegal logging. Locals are complaining that they are unable to get food from the area if they are not allowed to enter. Also thousands of hectares of cultivation and other lands of Muara Petai are being planted by APRIL. The company says it does not have to mind locals while planting new areas because it has the back up of Indonesia's undemocratic government. NGOs have criticized UPM-Kymmene and APRIL for destroying rainforests and grabbing land from the locals. UPM is selling paper made by APRIL in Europe and is using pulp from APRIL's Riau factories to make paper in China. UPM is also planning to get a share of Riau factories. |
