Pulp and paper giant, APRIL, continues to seek to impose its expansion plans on the Kampar Peninsula, Riau

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 (APRIL recently had its controlled wood certificate from the Forest Stewardship Council withdrawn for lack of compliance.)

• Letter from FPP and Scale Up to APRIL, following up on previous letter sent on 23 November 2009 May 2010 - link

• Letter from FPP and Scale Up to APRIL in response to APRIL’s letter of 22 September November 2009 - link

• Joint briefing from local NGO, Scale Up, and FPP summarises the situation October 2009 - link

• Letter from APRIL to FPP, responding to letters from FPP and Scale Up sent in May, August and September. 22 September 2009 - link

• RAPP (member of the APRIL group) finally responds to FPP and Scale Up but most questions remain unanswered (Letter dated 10 September but actually sent after FPP letter of 17th September) September 2009 - link

• FPP writes to APRIL protesting at the unilateral movement of machinery onto community lands prior to imminent land clearance operations September 2009 - link

• International NGOs' joint sign-on letter highlights community rejection of APRIL's plans August 2009 - link

• National NGOs' joint letter to APRIL expressing support for communities' rejection of PT RAPP's plans August 2009 (in Bahasa Indonesia) - link

• FPP and Scale up write to APRIL seeking clarification of the 'Free, Prior and Informed Consent' process May 2009 - link