Unpaid RAPP Rights, Farmer Groups Send A Letter To The President

SELATPANJANG - The managers of the Bina Karya Bersama Farmer Group in Kepulauan Meranti regency, Riau, again wrote to the President of Indonesia Joko Widodo at the State Palace. The reason is that the right to compensate the sago and rubber garden land that has been destroyed to become Acacia Plantation Forest Plant has not been paid by PT RAPP, a subsidiary of Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Ltd. (APRIL) from RGE Group founded by Sukanto Tanoto in 1973.

Chairman of the Bina Karya Bersama Farmer Group, Zainal Abidin and Asmal Zein Secretary revealed it to journalists in Selatpanjang, because the letter previously submitted to the President has not been known to follow-up results by farmer groups.

"We re-write to the President with a complete data attachment We hope this letter can be responded with a fair process by the relevant Ministry, not only hear the unilateral reasons from the company," said Zainal Abidin, Sunday, August 13, 2017.

Meanwhile Asmal Zein Asserted that the existence of Bina Karya Bersama Farmer Group has a clear legal entity and registered in Kesbangpol Office of Meranti Islands Regency.

"The agricultural land that we are working on also has a clear rights base under the applicable regulation, which has been affirmed to have no overlapping disputes with other parties," he said.

During this time, Asmal continued, the Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP) party seemed to deliberately ignore the rights of farmers on farmland land that had been planted with stems (sago) and rubber. While the local government has also been impressed silent about the condition.

"If our garden is not destroyed by PT RAPP bulldozer, we are now enjoying the plantation that we have planted until now the company still neglect the compensation payment due to overlapping land," he said. (edt)

Here is a photo of an open letter from the Board of Farmers Group of Bina Karya Bersama Archipelago submitted to the President, along with complete chronological data document as attachment: