PEKANBARU, KOMPAS.com - Six Greenpeace volunteers, five of whom are foreigners, are being taken to the Riau police HQ, Pekanbaru, subsequent to their act at the dock area of PT Indahkiat Pulp and Paper, in Perawang, Siak Regency, Riau, Wednesday morning.

The Greenpeace act involved 12 activists who chained themselves to four cranes at the dock of a company subsidiary to the Sinar Mas Group, ceasing all loading activities there.

According to Hikmat Soerya Tanuwijaya, the Indonesian Greenpeace spokesman, the Greenpeace activists who were brought to the Riau Police HQ were Asish Fernandes (India), Asti Rowesley (Switzerland), Valerie Philip (Australia), Benoit Calvi (Belgium), Stepanie Goodwin (Canada), and Bustar Maitar, the last being the Greenpeace campaigner for Indonesia and South-east Asia.

Bustar Maitar, contacted via mobile phone, said that he and the other five activists were taken to the Perawang Police HQ. "We still don't know under what charge the police are arresting us. They said we will be taken to the Riau Police HQ in Pekanbaru."

Bustar also claimed that the Greenpeace activity at PT Indah Kiat's premises was a protest to the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who's inconsistent to his commitment to handle the glass-house effect. The fact is Sinar Mas Group still uses natural wood for its industry and damages the wetland forest for its industrial plantations.

"We ask SBY to see and hear our protest."

A Commitment from Sinar Mas Group

Sinar Mas PR, Nurul Huda said that he understood Greenpeace's charge for the company's activity in Perawang. However, Sinar Mas has tried to reduce the glass-house effect from its factory operations.

"We're not just defending ourselves but we do have a commitment to preserve the environment. In fact we have set aside the 72,000 hectare property of Giam Siak Kecil as a conservation, which is recognized by the UN agency UNESCO as the Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Conservation."

"We have also provided 16,000 hectare of wetland in Semenanjung Kampar to be made into a permanent conservation area. As for the accusation of using natural wood, since last year we haven't cut anymore natural wood. Even if there's still natural wood, it's just the left-over supply from 2007 that was suspended due to a legal case."

Until 11.00 am, three Greenpeace activists haven't been fetched down from PT Indah Kiat's cranes. Despite all the persuasion they've persisted to remain.

Since November 2009, Greenpeace has been fervently campaigning environment conservation for a better world climate in the future. For over half a month, Greenpeace has also been protesting in the Semenanjung Kampar wetland forest, Pelalawan, Riau, which is damaged by PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper.

At least 15 foreign Greenpeace activists and two foreign reporters involved in the Semenanjung Kampar protest were deported from Riau to their respective countries. (Sahnan Rangkuti/C17-09)