More Greenpeace activists arrested in Riau

PEKANBARU: Police in Riau province on Wednesday arrested 14 Greenpeace activists, including nine foreigners, on Wednesday for blocking four cranes at a port belonging to PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper.

They protested the pulp mill, which activists say is destroying Indonesia's forests.

The sealed port in Perawang, Siak, is one of the points of entry for the company's raw materials and for shipments of its products for export.

The peaceful blockade began at around 7 a.m. with several protesters managing to enter the tightly guarded port. Activists then climbed onto 40-meter-high cranes and tied themselves to them, erecting large banners and posters. Some of these read, "Climate Crime", and "You Can Stop This".

Earlier this month, Riau immigration officers deported 13 Greenpeace activists and two foreign journalists following a rally.

Separately on Wednesday, Greenpeace activists blocked cranes in the Kampar Peninsula, Riau. - JP