Greenpeace Indonesia Media Release
Jakarta, October 18, 2024 – Ahead of the inauguration of Indonesia’s newly elected president and vice president, Greenpeace Indonesia called for attention to the numerous crises plaguing the nation, including environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, and the erosion of democracy. Through a creative video projection in Central Jakarta, Greenpeace invited the public to continue to #MemilihBersuara (ChooseToSpeakUp) for the protection and restoration of the environment, democracy, and human rights.
“As President Joko Widodo wraps up his second term, busily trying to paint a rosy picture of his administration’s achievements, we must not forget the negative legacy he leaves behind. Under his leadership, we have witnessed the weakening of environmental protections, a decline in democracy and human rights, and numerous national strategic projects that have marginalised Indigenous and local communities,” said Iqbal Damanik, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia.
During the creative action, Greenpeace projected videos displaying a map of Indonesia, marking locations where environmental destruction has occurred. The map highlighted issues such as deforestation, land grabbing affecting Indigenous communities, forest and peatland fires, and various forms of mining, from nickel, gold, and coal to sea sand extraction, as well as the construction of captive coal-fired power plants.
The extractive nature of development has been apparent throughout President Jokowi’s decade in power. Despite being described as ‘green projects,’ many initiatives under his administration were riddled with ecological violations and injustices, such as those in Rempang Island, Riau Islands, and North Kalimantan.
Greenpeace Indonesia fears that the same environmental and climate crises, greenwashing practices, restrictions on democratic spaces, and human rights violations could persist under the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration. While still echoing the Jokowi era’s rhetoric of ‘sustainability’, Prabowo-Gibran appear poised to continue pursuing an exploitative development model while repeating an ‘8 percent economic growth’ mantra. For instance, Prabowo-Gibran’s vision includes expanding food estate projects to 4 million hectares and continuing nickel downstreaming, activities that have already proven damaging to the environment and detrimental to local communities.
Prabowo has also selected individuals with problematic track records on environmental policies to join his cabinet. Among them is Bahlil Lahadalia, who was involved in controversies over mining permit revocations during his tenure as Minister of Investment. Furthermore, Prabowo has chosen Zulkifli Hasan, who, as Minister of Forestry, oversaw the largest release of forest estate to corporations in Indonesia’s modern history. Recently, as Minister of Trade, Zulkifli issued regulations that facilitated sea sand exports, alongside Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, who is also among Prabowo’s prospective cabinet members. Several other cabinet candidates are suspected of having conflicts of interest concerning natural resource management.
“Even if our expectations are low, as civil society, we must continue to monitor the Prabowo-Gibran administration. We need to keep raising our voices to ensure they halt extractive development practices that harm the environment, violate human rights, and disadvantage communities,” said Khalisah Khalid, Head of the Political Working Group at Greenpeace Indonesia.
The Prabowo-Gibran inauguration will take place a day before the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) to be held in Cali, Colombia from 21 October – 1 November 2024. Citing the transition of government, no high-level Indonesian decision-makers will attend this vital forum. Yet, as a nation that has ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, Indonesia should be actively participating and modelling serious commitment at this biennial conference.
From locations across the globe, including Jakarta and Sangihe, a small island in North Sulawesi threatened by mining, Greenpeace is sending out calls to protect biodiversity and the environment.
“We also demand recognition, respect, and protection for the rights of Indigenous and local communities, two groups that have played a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity in this country. For ten years under Jokowi’s administration, the Indigenous Peoples Bill was left languishing without being enacted, while many laws that favoured oligarchs were passed or amended. Our choices are limited, but we must continue to speak out against the oligarchic practices threatening the sustainability of our planet,” said Khalisah Khalid.
Editor’s Note:
Photos and videos of the creative action are available here.
Related Research:
1. Licence to Clear – Greenpeace International
2. ‘Green Lies’ in North Kalimantan
Media Contacts:
Khalisah Khalid, Head of the Political Working Group, Greenpeace Indonesia, +62 812-9040-0147
Iqbal Damanik, Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace Indonesia, +62 811-4445-026
Igor O’Neill, Greenpeace Indonesia Forest Campaign +61 414-288-424 [email protected]
