Publications: Indonesia

The Singapore-based pulp and paper giant, APRIL, through its Indonesian national subsidiary, PT Riau Andolan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), is seeking to develop a ring of new Acacia plantations on community lands on the peat soils of the Kampar Peninsula, in Riau Province on the island of Sumatra. The company also hopes to promote conservation zones in the core of the Peninsula payable with REDD money.

The company claims it adheres to corporate 'best practice' standards, including the communities' rights to 'Free, Prior and Informed Consent'. Yet it has already secured permits to almost 100,000 hecatres of community lands and now only seeks to negotiate with the communities about land use within a heavily constrained framework. This series of letters and a briefing summarises the escalating crisis in the area.  

In the latest letter letter (May 2010), FPP and Scale Up query APRIL's controversial operations in the Kampar Peninsula and urge it to respect the communities' rights. (APRIL recently had its controlled wood certificate from the Forest Stewardship Council withdrawn for lack of compliance.)

This report summarises the findings of a field investigation and legal study which shows how voluntary efforts by companies to set aside areas for community livelihoods and for conservation are being frustrated by the ill-fit between the RSPO's procedures - using the 'High Conservation Values' approach - and national laws and procedures. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is to meet in Kuala Lumpur from 1-4 November 2009.

Letter from CERD (UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination), under the urgent action procedure, in response to request submitted by AMAN, Sawit Watch, FPP and others. (See original correspondence, July 2009)