Ezra Sihite Jakarta Globe 20 Dec 11;
Another ten islanders from Riau province have sewn their mouths shut during an ongoing hunger strike against Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper outside the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Isnadi Esman, coordinator of the group of dozens of protesters from Padang Island, said a total of 18 people had sewn their lips together to highlight the House’s failure to act against RAPP for the last two years.
“We demand [the government] halt the operation of RAPP on Padang Island and revoke the decision of the Ministry of Forestry in 2009 to issue a concession for an industrial plantation forest,” Isnadi said.
He said RAPP had been granted 41,000 hectares of land on the island, which totaled 110,000 hectares.
The protest began on Monday.
