Jakarta – Law enforcement against companies contributing to the ecological disaster in Sumatra as of the end of 2025 has not been carried out in a comprehensive, participatory or optimally manner.
To date, state officials have not announced the results of their investigations and examinations, nor have they determined which companies are responsible and should be held accountable for their ecological sins.
"An indecisive legal response only delays accountability and prolongs the impact on communities who have lost their rights, including housing, livelihoods, living space, security, even the right to education for their children", said Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) National Campaign Division head Uli Arta Siagian.
Investigations by the Attorney General's Office and the Forest Area Control Task Force (Satgas PKH) have been conducted on at least 23 companies, and the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes stated that preliminary evidence shows a strong correlation between their activities and deforestation in upper watershed areas (DAS), which accelerates the increase in water surface runoff during extreme rainfall. No companies however have been proven to be guilty yet.
Several administrative measures have also been taken: the Law Enforcement Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry/Environmental Agency (BPLH) has sealed and temporarily suspended several companies in North and West Sumatra.
It is still unknown however which companies are being prosecuted or had their permits permanently revoked as a form of full accountability. The government has indicated that permits will no longer be an automatic protection, but further action is still pending.
"Based on field information gathered by Walhi North Sumatra, although the Ministry of Environment has temporarily suspended the activities of several companies, including [the state owned plantation company] PTPN and [gold mine operator] PT Agincourt Resources, these two companies are still operating in the field", said Siagian.
He also added that, "Administrative and reactive law enforcement such as temporarily suspending and sealing companies, is insufficient to address structural problems in environmental and natural resource governance. Demands for the immediate revocation of permits for companies damaging ecosystems and the enforcement of criminal sanctions without exception are increasingly urgent", Siagian concluded.
Ecological disasters such as flooding have become more widespread in recent times, affecting South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Papua and North Maluku. In fact, disasters such as occurred in Sumatra have significant potential to spread to other regions if state officials do not immediately implement policy corrections and a comprehensive evaluation of licensing activities, particularly those in important and critical ecosystems.
Contact person: +62 811-5501-980 (Walhi)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Setengah Hati Penegakan Hukum Terhadap Perusahaan Penyebab Banjir Sumatera".]
Source: https://www.walhi.or.id/setengah-hati-penegakan-hukum-terhadap-perusahaan-penyebab-banjir-sumatera
