"RLU Response to Mighty Earth Report", 14 October 2020.

PT Royal Lestari Utama (RLU) welcome the opportunity to engage with the stakeholders to explain our progress, challenges, and opportunities around our projects. The following points respond to an October 2020 report from Mighty Earth (ME).

Allegations of illegal activity prior to the RLU JV’s establishment

1. ME’s allegations around illegal deforestation in the Jambi concessions held by Barito Pacific Group subsidiaries PT Lestari Asri Jaya (LAJ)* and PT Wanamukti Wisesa (WMW) between 2012 and 2014, prior to the establishment of RLU, a JV between Michelin Group and Barito Pacific Group, are without basis in fact..

Commitments made by RLU to rehabilitate and restore the land

1. Upon RLU’s establishment as a JV in 2015 Barito Pacific Group and Michelin Group undertook to introduce environmental and social safeguards, in order to produce sustainable natural rubber in degraded land. These production areas were designed to serve as buffer zones and protect national park areas as well as designated conservation areas within the concessions from further encroachment, illegal logging and poaching, as well as to protect biodiversity, in accordance with the norms stipulated under forestry regulatory as HTI License...

Commitment to Indigenous Peoples

1. RLU has also developed an Indigenous Peoples (IP) Engagement Framework and agreement with the Orang Rimba Group, to help support and sustain livelihoods. RLU cooperates with the regional government to facilitate access to national identity cards (KTP) for Orang Rimba to be able to use public services, such as health care facilities and education.
2. The company has developed a grievance mechanism process and guidelines for managing stakeholder grievances....