WALHI notes that 30 million hectares of Indonesian forest have been subject to permits in the forestry sector, including logging permits and timber plantation permits, or, to use the current terminology, Forest Utilization Business Permits (PBHT). 1 million hectares of forest have been allocated for Ecosystem Restoration and Forest Area Lease permits. An additional 8 million hectares of Indonesian forest have also been released; 70 percent—or 6 million hectares—of this released area has been allocated to palm oil corporations.
It took only 57 years to deplete 33% of Indonesia’s total forest area. This area is equivalent to the combined size of Java and Sulawesi or nearly half the size of Indonesia’s production forests. In addition, 3.3 million hectares of forest are illegally controlled by palm oil corporations, which are currently in the process of being legalized under the Job Creation Law, Articles 110A and 110B.
From the facts above, it can be concluded that corporate control of forests—along with the destruction of their functions—is facilitated by the state through a series of policies. These policies did not emerge in a vacuum but are heavily influenced by the prevailing political situation.
For more details, please download the following document:
Lembar Evidence of Ecological Crimes Committed by the Three Coalitions (revised edition)