PekanbaruNews - The death of an elephant is heartbreaking for many people, including Riau environmental activist, Tommy Freddy Manungkalit, SKom SH. "RAPP and Indah Kiat Must Be Responsible".

During an in-person interview at the Rembuk office of the Anak Rimba Indonesia Foundation (ARIMBI), he regretted the death of an elephant in the Limited Production Forest (HPT) area of PT Arara Abadi (PT AA) and around other acacia plants which are protective forests of Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN).

"If I'm not mistaken, the bracelet forest or TNTN protective forest is a plantation of the HTI Group of PT Riau Pulp and Paper (RAPP), it's only natural for us to accuse the company of being the cause of the damage to TNTN forest including PT AA's acacia because the access road is smooth," he said.

When asked what was the reason for blaming PT RAPP and PT AA, which they said cared about the environment, "as holders of HTI permits around TNTN, these companies must be responsible for protecting their area, including guarding the access road to the heart of TNTN," he said.

"Tesso Nilo National Park is one of the places where populations of protected animals such as elephants, tigers, bears, pangolins, tapirs and so on, as permit holders, must be strictly guarded," he said.

It should be known, said Tommy, "TNTN is equivalent to Limited Production Forest (HPT) which should be a place where populations of protected animals can reproduce a variety of protected animals," so the question is there are oil palm plantations in HTI, so naturally elephants are in conflict with humans, ' he said.

"It's only natural that protected animals enter people's settlements and where the forest where the elephant lives is the target of oil palm planters in the HPT area (many oil palm plantations) who are suspected of being pests. For example in the Mamahan Jaya area, in Langgam District," he said.

According to Tommy, Mamahan Jaya is included in the Limited Production Forest (HPT) area which has now been detected to have changed the function of oil palm plantations, Acacia plants and also many are currently opening up new land.

"As far as we know, the HPT area should also be guarded by the regional/provincial/central government as the place for the declaration of the Biosphere forest area," he said.

"Now after the elephant dies, the tapir enters the city, who is responsible?, he said.

Due to the incident of this animal dying, "we ask the European Union to issue a warning by blocking PT RAPP and Indah Kiat's products, in order to save animals that are almost extinct in this world," he concluded.

PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) Media Relations, Disra Alldrick alias Eric and PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper (IKPP) IKPP Stanley Najoan, confirmed Saturday (15/7/23) did not answer.**