On 18th December, a village in Riau Province, Sumatra, was attacked by armed police and paramilitaries and also fire-bombed from a helicopter. This is a serious escalation of violence and human rights abuses in one of many land conflicts related to plantation expansion in Indonesia. The village of Suluk Bongkal was attacked by the police and by over 500 paramilitaries, armed with fire-arms and tear gas. A helicopter dropped incendiary devices which eye witnesses reported contained napalm. Although the nature of the bombs has not yet been confirmed, hundreds of houses immediately went up in flames. Two toddlers were killed, 400 villagers fled into the forest. Others were detained and 58 people remain in the village, under enormous psychological pressure and cut off from the outside. On 20th December, a helicopter dropped stones on tents set up by refugees from the village.
The violence is linked to Sinar Mas, one of the largest pulp and paper and palm oil plantation companies in Indonesia. This particular plantation belongs to Sinar Mas subsidiary Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), which reportedly owns the helicopter used in the attacks. APP is one of the two largest pulp and paper companies in Indonesia. Many of their plantations have been set up in contravention of Indonesian laws, involving the destruction of highly biodiverse rainforests, plantings in water catchment areas and on steep slopes, and the displacement of communities. The plantation industry in Riau province is also linked to the deforestation, drainage and burning of peat swamps, one of the largest single sources of climate-change causing carbon dioxide emissions in the world.
Please sign the letter below which will be sent to authorities in Indonesia and which supports demands by WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia) that the state authorities must guarantee the human rights of the population and investigates and punishes those responsible for this crime, and that the business permit granted to the plantation company in question must be withdrawn and that the rights of the population must not be sacrificed for companies’ economic interests.

Fax addresses:
Arara Abadi Fax 0062 761-91320
President of Indonesia Fax : 0062-213452685
Mabes Polri (Police Headquarter in Jakarta ) Fax : 0062-21 7207277
Kapolres Bengkalis (Police in Bengkalis District) Fax : 0062-766 23540
Bupati Bengkalis (District Head in Bengkalis) Fax : 0062-766 21669
Governor of Riau Province, Fax : 0062-761 33477
Polda Riau (Police in Riau Province), Fax : 0062-761 20084
Email copy of pdf to: National Human Rights Commission, Komnas:  info@komnasham.go.id,  webmaster@komnasham.go.id – Alex Mandalika ( Dir Reksrim Polda Riau )
by text message/SMS
+62 812 – 6201 -962.

- General Bambang Hendarso Danuri
Chief of National Police
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Fax: +62 21 720 7277
Tel: +62 21 721 8012
Email:  polri@polri.go.id

- Mr. Ifdhal Kasim
Chairperson
KOMNAS HAM (National Human Rights Commission)
Jl. Latuharhary No. 4B Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10310
INDONESIA
Fax: +62 21 3151042/3925227
Tel: +62 21 3925230
E-mail:  info@komnasham.or.id .

- Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono
President
Republic of Indonesia
Presidential Palace
Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara
Jakarta Pusat 10010
INDONESIA
Fax: + 62 21 231 41 38, 345 2685, 345 7782
Tel: + 62 21 3845627 ext 1003
E-mail:  presiden@ri.go.id