Only 5 of the 176 plantation and timber companies accused of burning to clear concession land in 1997 were ever taken to court and only one was found guilty, according to former environment minister Sonny Keraf. 1
A coalition of 13 NGOs and community groups from North Sumatra took legal action against a number of national timber industry associations and their local members, including APHI, APKINDO and MPI for their part in the 1997-8 fires. The court found the associations guilty and imposed a Rp50bn fine (approx US$5 million). The verdict was overthrown on appeal. 2
The Indonesian environmental NGO WALHI brought charges of pollution against 11 logging and plantation companies in South Sumatra following the 1997-8 forest fires: PT Pakerin, PT Sentosa Jaya, PT Inhutani V, PT Sukses Sumatera Timber, PT Inti Remaja Concern, PT Nindita Bagaskari, PT Musi Hutan Persada, PT Sinar Belanti Jaya, PT Sri Bunia Trading, PT Daya Penca and PT Family Jaya Group. Only PT Musi Hutan Persada and PT Inti Remaja Concern were found guilty of burning, but the companies were merely ordered to improve their management and fire precautions. 3
In 1998, satellite images showed fires on the concessions of 200 companies, but legal action was only taken against 9 and only one was successfully prosecuted. 4
Riau provincial forestry office announced it was taking 47 cases of starting fires to court. 17 companies were to be prosecuted for fires in 1997 & 1998 while 30 others were accused of similar offences in 19995. Only the following two cases were reported.
The North Sumatra Forestry and Plantation Office planned to bring at least 18 companies to court in 2000 for burning tens of thousands of hectares of forest, starting with the five bigger companies: PT Langkimat, PT Barumun Rapala , PT Maduma, PT Kass and PT Torganda Bukit Harapan 9
The head of Riau Bapedal identified the following companies as burning to clear concessions in 2000: PT Inti Prona, PT Esa Indah Timber, PT Shorea Meranti Timber, PT Rokan Permai TBR, PT Mandau Abadi, PT Perkasa Baru, PT Triomas LT Forestry Indonesia, PT Expra Baru, PT Kulim Coy, PT Indowood and PT Dwi Marta10. No legal action against these companies has been announced.
Environment minister Keraf announced that his agency, Bapedal, had filed suits at the Attorney General's Office against 5 companies in May 2000 for their alleged roles in forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra, but only one had been processed due to an apparent lack of evidence11. He did not name the companies.
The court case against PT Adei began in Pekanbaru, Riau in early 2001. The prosecutor demanded a 4 year jail sentence for the Malaysian manager for burning plantation land in 1999 and 200012.
The Riau forestry office said satellite images showed fires burning on the concessions of 24 companies in mid-2001. The six timber estates are PT Arara Abadi (AA), PT Riau Abadi Lestari (RAL), PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), PT Inhutani IV, PT Sinar Sumatera Plywood Industry and PT Rimba Seraya Utama. The 13 plantation firms are PT Astra Agroniaga, Rokan Adi Jaya, Surya Dumai Agrindo, Duta Palma Nusantara, Raja Garuda Mas, Tani Swadaya Perdana, Musim Mas, Blankolam, Subur Arum Makmur, Kencana Amal Tani, Jatim Jaya Perkasa, Titian Tata Pelita and PTDharma Unggu Guna. The five logging companies are PT Rokan Permai Timber, Sri Buana Dumai, Siak Raya Timber, Bina Daya Bintara (formerly PT Kosmar Timur Raya) and PT Ubbi Mekar13.
Five logging concessions in West Kalimantan were named as having fires on their concessions: PT Harapan Kita Utama in Kapuas Hulu, PT Tunas Indo Timber, PT Harapan Kita Utama and PT Nusantara Mukti Sentosa in Sintang and PT Tanjungpura Bhakti in Sambas.
1 Kompas 28/Mar/2000
2 Waspada 19/Jun/1998
3 Republika 21/Jan/2000
4 Suara Pembaruan 3/Mar/2000
5 AFP 15/Sept/1999
6 Republika 21/Jan/2000
7 Media Indonesia 8/Mar/2000
8 Jakarta Post 20/Jul/2000
9 AFP 3/Aug/2000
10 Jakarta Post 26/Jul/2000
11 Indonesia Observer 9/May/2000
12 Kompas 27/Jul/2001
13 Jakarta Post 18/Jul/2001
14 Tempo 17-23 July 2001