Hundreds of villagers have gathered...to speak with the mediation team sent by the government to help settle a dispute between Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP) [part of Asia Pacific Resources International] and villagers who want to force the company off Pulau Padang, a small island near Sumatra...The tensions building in this corner of Riau province are not unusual in today's Indonesia...What stands out in the current battle is the tactics being used to draw attention to the conflict. In December 2011, 28 protesters sewed their mouths shut in front of the parliament building in Jakarta and later threatened to blow themselves up if forcibly removed...While the heads of 11 of the island's 14 villages signed an agreement in support of RAPP last year, locals from the three villages against the concession say the company threatens not only their livelihoods as rubber and sago farmers but also the existence of the island itself..."By helping us ... it will benefit them as well," Wenas [representative from RAPP] tells TIME. "They know our presence can make a better living for them." [also refers to Asia Pulp & Paper (part of Sinar Mas), POSCO]