Budi Otmansyah

Residents of Meranti Bay in Riau’s Pelalawan district expressing their support for Greenpeace activists at the campsite set up on the banks of the Kampar River to protest the destruction of the region’s peatland forests. (Photo: FB Anggoro, Antara)

Residents Flock to Support Greenpeace Activists in Riau

Pekanbaru. More than 100 people from the Riau district at the center of a political storm over the deportation of 11 Greenpeace activists have asked the remaining activists not to abandon their cause and leave the area.

Residents of Meranti Bay, in Pelalawan district on Riau’s Kampar Peninsula, defended the activists’ camp on the banks of the Kampar River from those they said were paid by a local logging company to drive them away.

“We support Greenpeace because they are here to save what remains of our forest,” said one resident, Suwandi.

“We’re ready to defend this camp no matter what happens.”

He vowed to mobilize some 300 local residents by Sunday evening at the camp, which had been used by Greenpeace to draw attention to the destruction of the region’s peatland forests ahead of a key UN climate conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Some environmental activists from Spain, Brazil, Germany, Thailand and the Philippines were deported on Saturday afternoon for violating their tourist visas by participating in a demonstration at PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper, one of Indonesia’s largest paper companies, on Thursday. Police also arrested 21 Indonesian activists involved in the protest.

“Those who do not support Greenpeace are newcomers paid by a logging company to sign a petition to oust Greenpeace,” Suwandi said without naming the company. He claimed that the Greenpeace detractors had each received between Rp 150,000 ($16) and Rp 200,000.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia spokesman Zamzami confirmed that the activists were scheduled to leave on Sunday, but the plan was called off after local residents had asked them to stay.

“The residents helped unpack the already packed gear. This support made us decide to stay at the camp,” he added.

Zamzami said support had also come from the Forest Rescue Network Riau (Jikalahari), an alliance that included the Indonesia Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Transparency International Indonesia and local tribal groups. Jikalahari has formally taken over the Kampar River camp.

Pelalawan Police Chief Adjutant Chief Comr. Ari Rahman Nafarin said that the police would not force the activists to leave the camp but would continue monitoring their activities.

“Yesterday [Saturday] evening, the situation got tense and as a consequence, we had to evacuate 14 Greenpeace activists out on the camp,” he said. “The move was made for security reasons, not as a warning, let alone eviction.”

Ari said that the 21 activists arrested during the protest would continue to be detained for further legal processing.

Greenpeace lawyer Susila Ningtias said that the permit obtained by the group from the Riau Police allowed its activists to stage their public rally in the province.

“Greenpeace’s activity was a peaceful action,” she said.

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