PRESS STATEMENT: CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS RAISE ALARM OVER INTIMIDATION AND FALSE CRIMINALISATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES BY NICKEL MINING COMPANIES AND POLICE IN SULAWESI, INDONESIA

The criminalization of Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia is increasing at a concerning rate. On March 5 2024, at around 10.30am Central Indonesian time, the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police (POLDA Sultra) named two residents of Torobulu Village as suspects, alleging their involvement in obstructing nickel mining activities on their land.

The conviction of these community members as suspects, follows the interrogation of 32 Torobulu village residents by police on January 8 2024. PT Wijaya Inti Nusantara (WIN), a nickel mining company owned by the Tridaya Group, submitted the police report falsely accusing the residents of violating Indonesia’s mineral and coal mining law (Article 162 of Law No. 3 of 2020).

The incident signifies a concerning increase in the criminalization of environmental human rights defenders in Indonesia’s Sulawesi and Maluku islands, where communities are facing intimidation, coercion, forced eviction, and the destruction of their livelihoods as a result of increased nickel extraction over the past 6 years.

The Alliance of Southeast Sulawesi Environmental Care – a coalition of sixteen civil society organizations including WALHI Indoensia (Friends of the Earth Indonesia), Satya Bumi, Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) and WALHI Sulawesi Tenggara, strongly condemn the actions of the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police and PT Wijaya Inti Nusantara (WIN). The coalition regards the criminalization of residents as a retaliation of the company to the community’s rejection of mining activities.

In principle, Torobulu residents are simply exercising their human rights, to a good and healthy environment, mandated in Indonesia’s Constitution. Under Indonesian law, freedom of public expression and fighting for the right to a good and healthy environment cannot be prosecuted criminally or sued civilly.

The Alliance of Southeast Sulawesi Environmental Care remind the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police that law enforcement by finding fault with citizens is the use of the law to prevent citizens from demanding their rights, it is also a form of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) and this has the potential to cause human rights violations.

Based on the above, the coalition:

1. Urge the Indonesian National Police Chief, Pol General Listyo Sigit Prabowo. to order Kapolda to stop naming suspects among environmental warriors in Torobulu Village and to stop all forms of criminalization of environmental warriors as a form of the Police Institution’s commitment to Anti-SLAPP in accordance with the Environmental Protection and Management Law;

2. Urge the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police Chief Inspector General Pol. Teguh Pristiwanto to revoke the suspect designation for the two SLAPP victims and stop all forms of criminalization against environmental fighters in Torobulu Village;

3. Urge the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources to revoke PT. Wijaya Inti Nusantara (WIN) in Torobulu Village, South Konawe;

4. Request that Komnas HAM take immediate protective action and take firm action against human rights violations involving the nickel business in Torobulu Village;

5. Calling on the international community to condemn all forms of human rights violations and criminalization against enviromental defenders considering the numerous cases of such criminalization in Indonesia.

Civil Society Coalition

1. WALHI Nasional
2. WALHI Sulawesi Tenggara
3. LBH Makassar
4. LBH Kendari
5. WALHI Sulawesi Selatan
6. WALHI Sulawesi Tengah
7. WALHI Sulawesi Barat
8. LBH Ansor
9. Satya Bumi
10. Jatamnas
11. PUSPAHAM Sulawesi Tenggara
12. Komunitas Pecinta Alam Sulawesi Tenggara
13. Solidaritas Perempuan Sulawesi Tenggara
14. Rumpun Perempuan Sulawesi Tenggara
15. Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ)
16. Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI)