The arrest of Sorbatua Siallagan has sparked protests by indigenous communities, who demand his release. The case has its origins in the concessions granted by the State to the company PT Toba Pulp Lestari, which since the 1980s has been producing paper and pulp near Lake Toba, the largest volcanic basin in the world. Indonesian Human Rights Commission: Stop criminalization.
Jakarta () – Arrested for his commitment to defending the lands inhabited by the Batak indigenous people for eleven generations, from the 19th century to the present day, and given in concession by the State to a private company. This is the fate experienced by Sorbatua Siallagan, a traditional musician, in prison since last March in the province of North Sumatra. The company in question is PT Toba Pulp Lestari, which since the 1980s has built plants for the production of paper, pulp and viscose near Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world; Large areas have been affected by deforestation and eucalyptus plantations have expanded, to the detriment of the ecosystem and local communities.
The release of Sorbatua Siallagan is a cry from members of the Ompu Umbak Siallagan indigenous community, from the Simalungun regency, who have gathered in front of the Medan police building. The musician, leader of the Dolok Parmonangan community, is considered by many to be a “primus inter pares”, since he is the spokesperson for the feelings of a multitude of people who see their lands plundered as part of the local “traditional society” or «masyarakat adat». Speaking to , Domu Ambarita, originally from North Sumatra and journalist for a Jakarta newspaper, explains that the traditional land of Sorbatua is located on the border of Ambarita territory, in Sihaporas, a subdistrict of Pematang Sidamanik. During the Dutch colonial era, the area was used by the administration and legally recognized by the Dutch in the document titled Enclave 1916, 29 years before the independence of Indonesia, on August 17, 1945,” he adds. Furthermore, the land of The Batak tradition is also marked on the Customary Areas Registration Map, known as of September 9, 2019 by the Indonesian term BRWA, indicating an area of 2,053 hectares.
The trial involving Sorbatua Siallagan is also being observed by the Indonesian Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM). Among those present in court was its commissioner Saurlin P. Siagian, who publicly supported the request to end the criminalization of Siallagan, detained following a complaint filed by PT Toba Pulp Lestari. In fact, on June 23, 2023, the pulp company filed a lawsuit against the 65-year-old man, accused of hostility because, together with the local population, he allegedly cut down eucalyptus trees and set fire to the land given to the company. The arrest comes after the police accused him of inciting hatred against the pulp giant.
But the case of Sorbatua Siallagan is not isolated. “There have been at least 31 court cases involving traditional lands,” continues Saurlin P. Siagian. «As reported by the head of the Simalungun District Court, Komnas HAM strongly calls for the release of Siallagan”, also because the Commission is facing the same legal cases in defense of traditional lands against the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and Environment. Therefore, the Indonesian administration is asked to fulfill its commitment to guarantee its “preservation.”
Nusantara Traditional Tano Batak (AMAN) spokesperson Hengky Manalu also publicly argued that the prosecution of Sorbatua Siallagan is unfair treatment by the state against the interests of the local people and the customs of tradition. In response to the claims of the accused and Komnas HAM, the PT TPL spokesperson said that the traditional name Ompu Umbak Siallagan never existed. “There is no such name in any customary land claim,” added Mr Salomo Sitohang, who represents the company’s interests. “At the moment we only have 10 complaints and these disputes have been properly dealt with and resolved well,” says Sitohang.
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