Indonesia - Environmental Paper Network

Indonesia: Indigenous Forest Defender Criminalized While Massive Deforestation Goes Unpunished

A troubling pattern of criminalizing forest defenders is once again unfolding in Indonesia. While large-scale deforestation continues in West Kalimantan, a traditional leader who sought to protect his community’s ancestral forest now finds himself facing criminal charges. Tarsisius Fendy Sesupi, the traditional leader of the Indigenous village of Lelayang (Kualan Hilir, West Kalimantan, Indonesia), recently […]

Justice for Sumatra’s Forests: A Turning Point After Deadly Floods – Now Remedy Must Follow

On January 20, 2026, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ordered the revocation of business permits for 28 companies operating in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The decision followed catastrophic floods and landslides that struck Sumatra in late 2025, killing at least 1,200 people, leaving 143 missing, and forcing more than 114,000 to flee their homes. […]

Continued abuses and deforestation in Indonesia by PT Mayawana Persada

On Tuesday, December 9, the West Kalimantan police tried to forcibly arrest Mr. Tarsisius Fendy Sesupi, the Traditional Head of Lelayang Hamlet, Kualan Hilir Village, Simpang Hulu District, Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. For years, the community has resisted the encroachment on its customary land and the deforestation—largely illegal—carried out by the logging company PT […]

Indigenous Communities Under Attack: Escalating Violence Linked to APRIL’s Pulp Operations in North Sumatra

On 22 September 2025, security forces from PT Toba Pulp Lestari Tbk (TPL), a sister company of APRIL, assaulted an indigenous village in North Sumatra, Indonesia, amid an ongoing land conflict over customary territories. According to the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), hundreds of TPL workers and security personnel stormed the villages of […]

Old Habits Die Hard – Asia Pulp & Paper violations exposed

September 10, 2025 – Environmental Paper Network (EPN) International and Jikalahari, an Indonesian network of NGOs, released a paper highlighting the failure of Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) to implement their green policies. The paper is being released as APP, one of the world’s largest companies, unveils a new sustainability policy in Jakarta — essentially […]

Joint Statement: FSC Risks Reputation By Lifting Suspension of APP Remedy Process

The Environmental Paper Network, along with a coalition of civil society organizations from Indonesia, the U.S., and Canada, is condemning the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) decision to lift its suspension of Asia Pulp & Paper’s (APP) Remedy Process. This premature move undermines the FSC’s own commitments to transparency and accountability and risks enabling greenwash for […]

Certifying the uncertifiable?

Aerial image showing deforestation on carbon-rich peatlands in PT Mayawana Persada’s pulpwood concession, July 2023 © Auriga Nusantara The uncertifiable cannot be certified, this seems to be an obvious statement. It is not. Earthsight and Auriga released demands to the most recognized forest certifying scheme, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to terminate negotiations aimed at bringing […]

Joint Statement: Organizations Applaud Canada’s Call for Domtar Owner to Address APP Ties

Eleven civil society organizations issued a joint statement commending the Canadian natural resources committee for summoning Jackson Wijaya, owner of Domtar (formerly Paper Excellence), along with Canada’s industry minister and Forest Stewardship Council representatives, to testify regarding Domtar’s ties to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP). Domtar recently confirmed Wijaya’s acquisition of sole control of […]

Greenwashing, deforestation and more emissions. The Indonesian paper giant is setting the tune in Baku.

To see how a global climate summit is going, it is not necessary to take note of the number of polluting companies showing up there, but this may help. All kinds of companies travelled to Baku, one of the largest global oil hubs. They register for meetings and panels, present their beautiful glossy image, and […]