Cause Chaos, Thugs prohibit the Discussion about "Threats of the Batang Toru Hydroelectric Power Plant (PLTA)"
Preparations for a discussion with the theme "The Future of Tapanuli Orangutans & the Batang Toru Ecosystem", which was held by the Indonesian Society of Environmental Journalists (SIEJ) together with a number of organizations, at a cafe in Tebet, became chaotic and tense because 4 unknown people approached them who asked for the discussion to be disbanded. A group of unknown people shouted and caused chaos and even slammed tables, making the pre-discussion atmosphere somewhat chaotic. This person was calmed down by the discussion organizing committee, but they still wanted the discussion to be disbanded. After refusing to dialogue with the committee, security officers finally arrived, and the discussion continued.
The discussion, which was held on Thursday, March 9 2023 at around 11.00 (Jakarta time), was held in response to collaborative coverage by five national mass media, which raised the topic of the threat of hydroelectric power plants (PLTA) in the Batang Toru landscape, North Sumatra. A number of project problems were revealed in the collaboration coverage. Among them, the alleged threat of damage to the area and habitat of the hydroelectric power plant, which was built on an area considered to be a catastrophic fault. The media wrote that there had been many incidents of landslides, which killed human lives, including workers in the area. Apart from that, coverage of this collaboration also highlights that this hydropower project is thought to have the potential to cause financial damage to the state.