"Taiwanese firm accused of pollution, rights abuses at Indonesian plants," 7 August 2025

Taipei-based conglomerate Walsin Lihwa Corp. was accused yesterday of causing severe pollution and human rights violations at its factories in Indonesia by local environmental groups and workers.

Indonesian NGOs — the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) and Action for Ecology and People's Emancipation (AEER) — along with Taiwan's Environmental Rights Foundation (ERF), held a press conference at the Legislative Yuan, urging the government to address transnational violations and tighten oversight of overseas investments.

[...] a worker at one of the company's Indonesian factories, said employees were given only surgical masks to protect against toxic air and coal dust. He added that occupational safety was poorly managed, with procedures that were poorly implemented for fall-related accidents.

[...] also said the factory had only one foul-smelling lavatory for its 1,000 workers and that the resting area lacked proper ventilation.

[...] said the company operates nickel smelters and a coal-fired power plant in Indonesia's Morowali Bay Industrial Park and Weda Bay Industrial Park.

[...] WALHI's space planning and infrastructure campaign manager, said nickel mining had devastated local ecosystems, destroying hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest and displacing residential communities and Indigenous reserve lands.

Blood samples from residents and workers in Weda Bay showed heavy metal contamination, and locally consumed fish were also found to be tainted [...].

[...] deforestation and development have led to heavy flooding during rainfall.

In a statement released Tuesday, Walsin Lihwa said it had addressed the accusations and expressed regret over what it called "inaccurate" information from environmental groups.

The company said its power plants meet all environmental regulations and that its mining suppliers are legally approved by the Indonesian government. It also claimed it has no partnership with the suppliers named by the groups.

Regarding a recent workplace accident, the company said it responded promptly and that an Indonesian government investigation had been completed in line with insurance and compensation regulations. It added that it provided compensation well above the legal requirement as a gesture of care.