Pekanbaru, (11/5/2024) - Seorang warga Kabupaten Pelalawan, Provinsi Riau, Rahmad (26) dilaporkan meninggal dunia setelah diterkam Harimau Sumatera di Desa Tanjung Simpang, Kecamatan Pelangiran, Kabupaten Indragiri Hilir.

Sejak medio April 2023, kabut asap akibat Karhutla telah menyelimuti kota Dumai dan Bengkalis. Hingga sepekan ini, karhutla sedikitnya telah menghanguskan lahan gambut berkedalaman 4 meter seluas lebih kurang 60 hektar, demikian data dari BPBD Provinsi Riau. Lokasi kebakaran terjadi di Desa Pelintung, Dumai, dan Desa Tanjung Leban, Kabupaten Bengkalis.

PEKANBARU – Pencabutan izin sektor kehutanan oleh Pemerintah di tahun ini memerlukan ketelitian dan sikap tegas agar tujuan mengefektifkan lahan-lahan terbengkalai menjadi tepat sasaran. Hasil temuan lapangan oleh Eyes on the Forest terhadap situasi terkini di lahan-lahan dicabut, menunjukkan perlunya tindakan cermat dari Pemerintah agar masyarakat bisa disejahterahkan, dan potensi konservasi bisa dipulihkan.

PEKANBARU, 30 NOVEMBER 2021 – Sudah bukan rahasia lagi banyak nama pemain industri sawit, mulai dari pabrik kelapa sawit, perusahaan perkebunan hingga pemasok crude palm oil (minyak sawit mentah) terlibat dalam skandal rantai pasokan produk sawit tercemar, dari lokasi penanaman hingga konsumen minyak sawit di dunia.

Pekanbaru, 25 November 2021–Koalisi Eyes on The Forest (EoF) mengecam penyelenggaraan Seminar Nasional “Permasalahan, Prospek dan Implikasi Sawit Sebagai Tanaman Hutan” yang bertentangan dengan tekad Pemerintah Indonesia untuk berkontribusi mengurangi ancaman krisis iklim (climate crisis) dan menahan laju deforestasi.

Siaran Pers Perkumpulan Elang -- 10 November 2021. Masyarakat Kampung Dosan, Kecamatan Pusako, Kabupaten Bengkalis, Riau, mengunjungi Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat (LSM) untuk berdiskusi dan mengadukan perihal konflik yang mereka alami dengan PT Arara Abadi (pemasok Asia Pulp & Paper /APP Sinar Mas Group).

In July 2020, Jikalahari NGOs network was informed by locals of Desa Dayun, Siak District, that Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) supplier, PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP) sector Pelalawan, drained peat canal, conducted land clearing and replant Acacia mangium in the formerly burned area of 2015 and 2019 forest fires.

Jakarta, 15 May 2019 -- A group of NGOs under the Anti Forest Mafia Coalition, including WWF-Indonesia, published a joint report highlighting that Sinar Mas Group’s Asia Pulp & Paper (SMG/APP) continues to be involved in deforestation, peatland destruction and fires even after they had committed to zero deforestation in 2013.

A legislator from Riau questioned the government who used helicopter facilities from a forestry and plantation company to monitor forest and land fires in the province.

State Administrative Court Jakarta rejected Thursday lawsuit lodged by PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), a major supplier of Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL), who demanded the court to annul suspension of their ten-year general workplan which banned their operation.

Indonesian Presiden Joko Widodo asked law enforcers to take stern measure in handling forest and land fire cases by revoking permits of companies involving in setting fires, instead of issuing caution.

Koalisi Eyes on the Forest menerbitkan laporan analisis dan investigatif terhadap 26 lokasi kebun sawit di Provinsi Riau yang merupakan bagian kecil dari 1,6 juta hektar kawasan hutan yang diubah menjadi kawasan bukan hutan berdasarkan Keputusan Menteri Kehutanan

Jikalahari melaporkan 49 konsesi korporasi usaha Hutan Tanaman Industri dan Perkebunan korporasi (HTI) kelapa sawit hasil temuan lapangan Eyes on the Forest (EoF) kepada Kepala Kantor Staf Presiden (KSP) pada 1 Desember 2016 di Gedung Bromo, Kantor KSP, Jakarta.

Jikalahari melaporkan kebakaran hutan dan lahan di dalam areal dan konsesi 49 korporasi industri HTI dan Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit di Riau sepanjang 2014-2016 kepada Nazier Foead, Kepala Badan Restorasi Gambut (BRG) di kantor BRG Jakarta.

Indonesian House of Representatives will set up a working committee to tackle case closures involving 15 companies in Riau by inviting related sides in a hearing.

Environmentalist group urged the Indonesian Police Chief to review performance of Riau Police Chief for closing 11 of 18 cases of companies investigated for alleged intentional burnings last year

A manager of palm oil company in Pelalawan, Riau, was set free from allegation of allowing forest and land burnings inside the concession of PT Langgam Inti Hibrindo (LIH), a supplier of Wilmar Group and Sinar Mas

Civil society organizations in Riau entered a key moment as civilian lawsuit against government officials was tried in Pekanbaru district court on 30 March 2016

Kementerian Perdagangan RI menerbitkan Permendag RI Nomor 89/M-DAG/PER/10/2015 tentang Ketentuan Ekspor Produk Industri Kehutanan. Salah satu poin penting dari regulasi ini adalah industri hilir tak wajib mengantongi Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu (SVLK).

Eyes on the Forest commended the Ministry of Environment and Forestry for issuing a letter and instructions regarding peat management for the prevention and control of fire.

A recent report highlighting gap on timber supply sustainability found that estimated 30 percent of wood used by Indonesia’s industrial forestry sector comes from illegal sources.

Just eight months of ruling as governor, the newly elected Riau governor was caught red-handed by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at his residence in Cibubur, East Jakarta, late last month.

Joint military operation in Giam Siak Kecil (GSK) Biosphere Reserve, Bukit Batu, Bengkalis Riau, in late last month revealed the involvement of two former police chiefs, a high-ranking TNI-AU (air force), as well as a number of police and military service members and government officials on the encroachement of the internationally recognized protected area. The area is always burnt annually then converted to plantations, media reported.

Independent evaluation by NGOs reveals fundamental flaws in SVLK allowing certification of illegal and unsustainable timber products

NGO coalition launched an independent study on the Indonesian Timber Legality Assurance System (SVLK) to scrutinize whether it and the actual Timber Legality (LK), Sustainable Production Forest Management (PHPL) and V-Legal certificates can guarantee the legality and sustainability of Indonesian timber products.

The result of corruption trial of former governor of Riau Rusli Zainal (RZ) which was held on Wednesday (12/3) at Pekanbaru State Court sentenced RZ to 14 years in prison and a liability to pay a fine of Rp 1 billion subsidiary of 6 months imprisonment after being pleaded guilty for corruption on forestry sector and National Games (PON) 2012, media reported.

A number of environmental communities and organizations participated in ‘Melawan Asap’ (Fighting against Smoke) action and made speech along their protest in the front of Zapin Monument and Riau Governor Office, Pekanbaru, on Monday (10/3). On this seventeenth ‘anniversary’ of Riau fires and smog disaster, they demanded immediate and serious handling from the central government and the provincial government of Riau.

Riau Forest Rescue Network (Jikalahari) reveals massive deforestation by industrial plantation companies during 2013 that also includes the green group’s doubts on paper giant company’s commitment to save Riau’s natural forest and peatlands seriously.

A Kalimantan-based NGOs consortium dedicated to monitoring deforestation in Indonesia’s part of Borneo released an investigative report on Tuesday, December 17th 2013, which reveals APP’s violation to its own self-imposed moratorium by the clearance of up to 1,400 ha natural forest.

Anti-corruption coalition called public to support the war against corruption as to eradicate the crime was not only the responsibility of Anti-corruption commission (KPK), law enforcement or any anti-corruption activists, but it is the responsibility of everybody

Anti-Mafia Coalition and WWF Indonesia launched an agenda to push law enforcement to apply to corporates that commit crime in forestry sectors. This was discussed during a media briefing on December 5th 2013 held at Warung Daun about Corporate Crimes in Forestry Sector.

The first trial on corruption cases involving Riau Governor Rusli Zainal who allegedly paid bribe in PON 2012 national games scandal and accepted bribery in issuing forest logging permits for pulp and paper timber suppliers held on last Wednesday (6/11) in Pekanbaru Corruption Court.

The Ministry for Environment reiterated that probe on Riau’s timber and palm oil companies --who named suspects due to allegedly setting forest and land fires in June-- would be proceeded including to prosecute them with money laundry verdict, an official said.

As their villages are affected by the climate change, eight suburbans of Pelalawan district and Rohil along with Forest Rescue Network Riau (Jikalahari) and Indonesia Centre of Environmental Law (ICEL) officially lay their protest toward the President of RI, Minister of Forestry, Minister of the Environment and Riau Governor at the State Court of Central Jakarta today which is located at Gajah Mada street No 17, Central Jakarta.

A monitoring on corruption trial by a university in Jakarta concluded yesterday that there was allegedly discrimination by judges of corruption court in taking a punishment to a defendant on forestry graft case in Riau province.

WWF released yesterday an advisory presented to buyers and investors of Sinar Mas Group/Asia Pulp & Paper (SMG/APP).

Riau Governor Rusli Zainal finally was detained by Corruption Eradicatio Commission (KPK) yesterday for allegedly “abusing power to make money for himself and other people or a corporation” by legalizing five-yearly logging plans to some timber suppliers in Pelalawan and Siak Districts between 2001 – 2007, KPK press release said.

Police have saved eight children working for main supplier of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) in Pulau Muda, Pelalawan district, and nabbed a contractor recruiting the children from North Sumatra province, media report said.

Despite a restoration program organized by a company affiliated to pulp giant in Kampar Peninsula, Riau province, launched and endorsed by the Ministry of Forestry, environmentalists criticized it as a manuoevre by wo-faced company which merely seek benefit from credit carbon scheme.

Independent monitoring alleges the company’s wood supplier in Sumatra toviolate APP’s forest conservation policy and clearance moratorium

In attempt to mitigate the corporates’ forest crimes, some activists demand Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to immediately seize the company assets of the listed names alleged for corporate crimes involvement.

At least eleven social and environmental civil society groups and networks sent a joint letter to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) on 24 April 2013, explaining the substantial social and conservation issues APP has failed to address adequately in its Forest Conservation Policy and associated documents.

Students association in Pelalawan district where Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) office and mill located protested the company’s main supplier PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) over ignorance in providing employment for locals as well as intransparency in handling industrial waste management.

Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Riau Governor Rusli Zainal suspect for National Games PON 2012 graft case as well as for Pelalawan forestry corruption last week.

Three non-governmental organizations consisting of WWF-Indonesia, the Indonesian Working Group on Forest Finance (IWGFF) and Transparency International Indonesia say they are ready to monitor and help eradicate corruption and money laundering in the forestry sector.

Recent trials of forestry corruption with defendant Burhanuddin Husin, former Riau Forestry Service Head at Pekanbaru’s Corruption Crime Court presented witnesses telling irregularities found in ground checking.

EoF News (PEKANBARU) – Former Siak Distric Head whom is prosecuted in Corruption Crime Court here asked Prosecutors to present more key witnesses including Riau Governor Rusli Zainal and Kampar District Head, reports said.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—Jikalahari, environmental organization’s network to save natural forest in Riau, sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week to order the police and prosecutors office to prosecute 14 timber companies which allegedly committing environmental destruction.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Siak District Head, who named suspect last year of corruption allegation in issuing pulpwood plantation licenses, did not attend the summon of his case at Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Office in Jakarta on Wednesday.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—Three officials at Indragiri Hilir Forestry Service were questioned by the Riau Province Forestry Service for allegedly manipulating hardwood tax from timber cleared by PT Sumatera Riang Lestari, an associated company to Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL).

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Civil society and environmental organizations in Riau province urged the Minister of Forestry to permanently stop natural forest clearing in all forests in the province.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Environmental groups in Riau urged law enforcers to probe more Riau corruption cases and bring more suspects to justice.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Indonesia’s Anti-corruption Body (KPK) has named Siak District Head Arwin A.S. suspect for allegedly receiving bribe in issuing pulpwood plantation licenses in the district.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Indonesian Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) has seized documents belong to Siak District Head at his office and residence this week as the agency’s spokesperson said the raid could be extension of gratification on logging license case that before had sent Pelalawan District Head to the jail.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)— Students and residents allied in a group staged rally here today (19/11/2008) to urge the Riau Prosecutors Office to bring illegal logging and corruption cases to the court amid the acknowledgment uttered by the law enforcer body last week that they give up to do so.

PEKANBARU (EoF News) —Pelalawan District Head (inactive) Tengku Azmun Jaafar was penalized to 11-year imprisonment by Corruption Crime Court in Jakarta yesterday (16/9/2008) as he found guilty of committing corruption in issuing pulpwood plantation licenses for 15 companies, media reports said.

PEKANBARU (EoF News)—Environmental groups in Riau urged Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) not to be discriminating in prosecuting those who allegedly involved in corruption case of Riau logging licenses.

The road would allow APP and affiliated companies to restart clearance of natural forest and destruction of deep peat soil at any time in a globally recognized conservation area, according to Eyes on the Forest, a coalition of local NGO network Jikalahari, Walhi Riau, and WWF-Indonesia. The Kampar peninsula is one of the world’s largest contiguous tropical peat swamp forests, with more carbon per hectare than any other ecosystem on Earth.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)--- The Indonesian government regulation allowing conservation area to be rented for economic and business purposes have sparked protests from various sides as it showed the inconsistence of the administration to protect the decreasing forest areas.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)—Police and an environmental organization supported legal action taken by Pelalawan District Court which appealed against the decision made by Riau High Court to free 25 defendants of illegal logging case, media reported Friday.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)—A member of parliament who tackles forestry sector urges the Ministry of Forestry to stop issuing any logging license in Riau and review permits granted to companies, the official House of Representatives website (dpr.go.id) reported Monday (1/10/2007).

Pekanbaru (EoF News) -- Riau Police have insisted to probe all out illegal logging cases involving large forestry companies amid worries warned by the provincial legislators as the action would harm investment opportunity in the province.

One of the world’s biggest environmental crimes continues to unfold in Indonesia as efforts by the government to curb massive illegal logging are being severely undermined by a weak and corrupt justice system, environmentalists revealed Wednesday.

PEKANBARU (EoF News) --Riau Malay Customary-Law Community Body calls on authority not to reactivate defunct HPH selective logging concession for pulp industry and should return the forest rights use to local customary (adat) community, says its advisory board. Anwar Saleh, the advisory board member of the traditional body, reminded that his organization and the government have set a moral consensus internally in responding forest issues in Riau that recommended that defunct HPH concession should not be renewed. “Just grant the HPH concession to local communities through [local] government,” he told Riau Pos daily as quoted by saying early this month.

Pekanbaru (EoF News)-- The government is urged to abide by regulations on its Sumatran elephant conservation agreement and protect the endangered species habitat from rampant conversion as human-elephant conflict escalates currently. Two elephants killed nearby Bukit Tigapuluh forest block early this month amid uncertainty of implementation on Ministry of Forestry Decree appointing Riau as Sumatran Elephant Conservation Centre.

Pekanbaru (EoF News) – At least 60 hectares of Tesso Nilo National Park is raged by fires amid raids conducted by the Riau Provincial Natural Conservation Agency (BKSDA) confiscating heavy equipments used by encroachers. Meanwhile, four people who were alleged as encroachers detained by the police of Pelalawan sector in selective logging concession of PT Siak Raya Timber.

Despite the officials in Riau claimed that hotspots detected by satellite has vanished, fires still occur inside Tesso Nilo forest on Monday as observed by WWF monitoring officer. The fires are currently set by the encroachers that occurred in coordinate point of South 00.04.38.9 and East 101. 47. 40. 9 (see picture 1 ).

The Indonesian Government promised its neighboring countries that haze problem caused by forest and land fires will be tackled by 2 September. In Riau, police detained 58 suspects for allegedly set fires, but none represented companies.

Visiting Head of DPR’s Commission VII Agusman Effendi said in Pekanbaru Friday (Jul.14) that worries appeared in neighboring countries over haze caused by forest fires have created ASEAN Transboundary Haze Agreement where each of its members should ratify it.

At the meeting, a senior official of Industry Ministry said pulp and paper industry is also responsible for massive deforestation and urged the authority to revoke their license for sourcing illegal timber, JPNN through Riau Pos reported.

Cabinet Minister Rachmat Witoelar said Thursday in Bogor of West Java that illegal logging capitalists must be responsible for recent floods and mudflows disaster in several provinces in Indonesia, Republika daily reported Friday.

After the Chairman of Gading Permai Small Farmers Business Group, Haji Usman Maun, reported to the Kampar police by RAPP at the forefront of the development of illegal palm oil plantations in the area which claimed by PT RAPP, the management of PT RAPP agreed to meet the Gading Permai community on May 1, 2006. However, instead of sending company officials to attend the meeting, PT RAPP mobilized 300 people in black uniforms to attack, destroy and burn down the people’s houses.

However, APP did not reply to the call by Eyes on the Forest to APP to immediately stop sourcing any wood from anywhere within Libo Forest Block. As shown in the EoF report: Forest to Paper, Forest to Palm Oil and No Place to Live for Riau’s Elephants (published on 18 April), APP has been found by EoF to source wood from three areas in Libo Block, in addition to the Bina Daya Bintara concession. Therefore, EoF continues to call APP to immediately stop any logging or any sourcing of wood from anywhere inside Libo Block.

Coalition of environmental NGOs in Riau, including Riau Forest Rescue Network Jikalahari, Walhi Riau, Hakiki, Amar and Yayasan Elang issued a letter of protest to the Board of Constituents Member of LEI on April 4 regarding the certification of Sustainable Plantation Management to PT. RAPP.

Jakarta, Hamburg, Helsinki, London, April 19, 2006 Hutan Gambut Sumatera Terancam Musnah, Harus Dilindungi

These and many previous cases of human-elephant conflict and killings appear to be connected to highly questionable, uncontrolled forest clearing in Riau's Libo Forest Block, one of the few remaining retreats of the Sumatran elephant in central Sumatra.

"The hot spots must be put out , otherwise the tigers` habitat will be threatened," the head of the local Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal), Khairul Zainal, said. He said the hot spots which had been spotted by satellite would become a serious danger to wild life if the area if they were not extinguished.

Indonesia has enacted laws on environmental protection and has issued a myriad of regulations and rulings to protect forests, in addition to the creation of non-tariff barriers to prevent the trading of illegally cut wood. Yet deforestation continues. Inter-island trade and export of illegally felled timber remains rampant.

Press Release on human-elephant conflict mitigation.

Pekanbaru, KOMPAS-- Rampant illegal logging practices in Riau have placed the province on the top list of provinces in Indonesia with the highest rate of illegal timber export, beside Kalimantan and Papua. Every month about 126,000 cubic meters of illegal timber are exported to Malaysia from this province alone.

Today Eyes on the Forest, a coalition of Sumatran environmental NGOs, called on all companies who are clearcutting natural forests based on Industrial Timber Plantation Licenses (IUPHHK-HT) issued by Governors or Heads of Districts to immediately issue a moratorium on all such operations.

News 25 Jul 2005 Eyes on the Forest Statement On June 3, 2005 , APRIL released a statement saying that all their suppliers have legal licenses. On 2 May 2005 , Eyes on the Forest investigators had reported that APRIL suppliers were operating with illegal licenses.

Pekanbaru, Indonesia (EoF News, May 27, 2005) - New investigations by Eyes on the Forest reveal continued forest destruction in APRIL's concession area. At least 216 hectare of natural peat swamp forest have recently been opened and have brought illegal loggers and squatters to the area.