November 6, 2025 | 10:20 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Ministry of Human Rights has finally taken action regarding alleged human rights violations that occurred in the Sihaporas customary area in Sihaporas Village, Pematang Sidamanik District, Simalungun Regency, North Sumatra Province. PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL), which operates at the site, is allegedly in dispute with local indigenous communities.
Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai stated that his agency will form a Fact-Finding Team (TPF) to investigate the conflict. "The team will go down to gather data, facts, and information," said Natalius on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
The team will be led by the Director General of Human Rights Services and Compliance, Munafrizal Manan. "(Its members) will be from civil society, religious leaders, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Environment," said Natalius.
The results of the team's investigation will form the basis for the Ministry of Human Rights to seek a resolution to the case, including making recommendations to the ministry regarding action against PT TPL.
According to Natalius, the team's formation is planned to be completed early next week. "Perhaps on Monday or Tuesday, a Ministerial Decree will be issued regarding the formation of a team to handle cases in the TPL concession area," Natalius said.
Natalius promised that the Ministry of Human Rights will strive to ensure the best possible way to fulfill the rights of the affected indigenous people in Sihaporas. "So that the community can receive justice," said the former National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Commissioner.
The formation of the team stemmed from a complaint by the Ephorus, or supreme leader of the Batak Protestant Christian Church (HKBP), Reverend Victor Tinambunan. "The core of the discussion concerns alleged human rights violations against the Sihaporas community in Simalungun," Victor stated on the same occasion.
Previously, Victor had called for the closure of the TPL pulp mill in Toba Regency. He made his call as part of the Batak community and the HKBP Church leadership, which has approximately 6.5 million members—most of whom reside in the Lake Toba area.
According to Victor, the presence of PT TPL has triggered various forms of social and ecological crises. "A series of ecological disasters such as repeated flash floods, landslides, water, soil, and air pollution, and climate change," he said on May 10, 2025.
Victor also stated that HKBP and other churches do not want conflict to arise between the community and PT TPL over natural resource management. This conflict is characterized by loss of life and injury, the loss of productive agricultural land, the breakdown of social relations between residents, and the accumulation of anger that has been denied democratic outlets due to fear.
Sahat Simatupang contributed to this article.
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