Jakarta. Wednesday, November 24, 2021, located in front of the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, the People’s Movement Alliance to close TPL (Aliansi GERAK closes TPL) took action to urge the Coordinating Ministry for Marives to immediately revoke PT TPL’s permit which has had a lot of negative impacts on Tano Batak.

The action started at 10.00 WIB, starting with a cultural performance of “margondang” and “manortor” offering prayers and requests to the Creator so that Tano Batak would be blessed and kept away from destruction due to the presence of PT TPL. The cultural event was also continued with speeches by representatives of indigenous peoples who came from the Lake Toba area.

Hengky Manalu representing the TPL Movement Close Alliance said that for more than three decades, PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) has been operating in Tano Batak but not the welfare that has been given to Tano Batak. On the other hand, the presence of TPL creates a lot of suffering. Therefore, the government did not turn a blind eye and immediately took action to close the company.

The orators from representatives of indigenous peoples also conveyed a series of problems caused by the presence of TPL against indigenous peoples in Tano Batak. Various human rights violations experienced by indigenous peoples, such as land grabbing and living space, environmental damage, criminalization, intimidation, violence and other bad impacts continue. Departing from the various problems caused by the presence of PT TPL. The TPL Movement Alliance Alliance together with networks at the North Sumatra Province and national levels have made various efforts to get the government to immediately revoke the company’s license.

Land grabbing that eliminates the living space and identity of indigenous peoples in Tano Batak, loss of family economic resources, environmental damage, criminalization, deforestation that triggers a series of ecological disasters, alleged manipulation of export documents that harm the state, violations of law in concession areas and other human rights violations that PT TPL has done so far, it should be more than enough for the government to immediately revoke the company’s permit. Jonris Simanjuntak emphasized that starting from the various sufferings they had experienced so far, they were again present in the capital city, the center of power in the Republic, to convey their demands or aspirations to the central government to take concrete and serious steps towards the process of closing PT TPL. which has been very detrimental to the country and the people of Indonesia so far.

Several demands were submitted, including:

1. Revoke PT TPL’s Operational Permit
2. Revoke the concession permit of PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) from the customary area.
3. Realize true agrarian reform.
4. Stop criminalizing and intimidating the Tano Batak indigenous people.
5. Immediately investigate acts of violence committed by PT TPL employees against indigenous peoples.
6. Completely investigate allegations of PT TPL’s export manipulation that has occurred so far.
7. Save Tano Batak from TPL waste.
8. Save the Tano Batak Forest from deforestation by TPL.

Meanwhile, from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment represented by Dirhansyah Conbul from the Deputy Secretary for Coordination, the response would be to convey all forms of aspirations to Mr. Luhur Binsar Panjaitan, as the head of the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investments, in accordance with applicable procedures. Then the representative of the TPL Movement Close Alliance directly provided documents related to the violations that had been committed by PT. TPL has been operating for more than 30 years.