GREENPEACE PRESENCE REMINDER OF GOVT'S COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENT

Pekanbaru, Riau, Nov 14 (ANTARA) - The Greenpeace activity in a peatland forest area in the Semenanjung Kampar region of Riau province's Pelalawan district, should be a reminder to the government of its commitment to preserving the environment, a public figure here said.

"The Greenpeace activists' presence in Riau is a very positive thing. We should be grateful that a world environmental organization is concerned about environmental sustainability in Riau," a prominent public figure, Prof Dr Tabrani Rab, told Antara here on Saturday.

He made the remark following the pressure exerted by local police and a company on the Greenpeace activists after the latter had taken action to protect a peatland forest area in the Semenanjung Kampar (Kampar Peninsula) on Thursday (Nov 12).

Tabrani, who is known as a culturalist and environmentalist, said the presence of an international environmental organization in the peat land forest indicated that some of Riau's natural resources were really being threatened by a company that has exploited the peat land forest and by pro-business government policy.

"The policy made by the government for environmental sustainability in Riau has remained unimplemented until now. The industrial sector destroying forests was supported. As a result the company easily discredited the NGOs operating to preserve the environment," Tabrani said.

"Riau community often rejected the company's presence but the company always won due to the bureaucrats' interest and money," Tabrani said.

Earlier, police have named 21 Greenpeace activist suspects after they sealed the heavy-duty equipment of logging company PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Papers (RAPP) in Kampar Peninsula, Riau, their defense lawyer said.

The 21 were among 33 Greenpeace activists detained at the Pelalawan police resort after they sealed the heavy-duty equipment in a peatland forest area in the peninsula on Thursday, lawyer Susilaningtias said here on Friday. All the 21 suspects are from Indonesia.

Twelve of the 33 Greenpeace activists are foreign nationals. They come from Brazil, Germany, Thailand, Spain and the Philippines.

Police have yet to decide on the legal status of the foreign nationals. They are now undergoing normal interrogation.

None of the activists declared suspects have been detained. By Friday evening, they were still at the police resort's hall.

The 21 activists are charged with committing an unpleasant act under article 335 of the Criminal Code and violating a ban on entry into a company's working area without a permit under article 551 of the code.