Indonesia - Environmental Paper Network

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 […]

Indonesia: human rights violations and deforestation are the price of single-use paper packaging

Ahmad bin Hanapi, a resident of Buong Baru Village in the eastern corner of Borneo, was tending his garden when the police arrived and arrested him, questioning his ownership of the land. Mr Ahmad produced an old document proving that this land belonged to his family. The document was taken by the police and eventually […]

Enough with peat fires! Indonesia protesters denounce APP’s subsidiaries

Residents in South Sumatra, Indonesia, took three subsidiaries of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) to court over the chronic smoke haze. Their pulpwood concessions are accused of repeatedly causing haze pollution due to fires on their concessions during the dry seasons. Twelve South Sumatra residents visited the Palembang District Court on Thursday to register a […]

The pulp & paper industry keeps abusing human rights in Indonesia

Indigenous land deforested by Toba Pulp Lestari @ AMAN Tano Batak On July 22, 2024, five members of the Tano Batak indigenous community were abducted by individuals driving security cars belonging to Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL), a company producing pulp and paper. The villagers were sleeping when they were taken and forced into the […]