Raja Ampat Volume II, Illegal Exploitation Of Gebe Island Continues To Increase And Environmental Impacts That Are Piling Up

JAKARTA - After the public spotlight was focused on the #SaveRaja Ampat issue last June, now attention has shifted to Gebe Island, a small island in Central Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, which is in a geographic environment near Raja Ampat. There, illegal nickel mining activities are suspected to be increasingly massive and threaten the environment and livelihoods of the local community.

The issue of #SaveRaja Ampat and illegal mining on Gebe Island has a close connection because both of them reflect a real threat to the ecosystem and indigenous peoples in eastern Indonesia who are rich in natural resources but ecologically fragile.

Although Raja Ampat is located in West Papua and Gebe Island in North Maluku, both are in a group of geo- and biologically interconnected eigeans. When exploitation of illegal mines damages the forests and coasts of Gebe Island, the impact has the potential to spread to the surrounding sea area, including the very sensitive waters of Raja Ampat.

These two cases also show the same pattern: weak supervision, entry of extractive projects without permission or participation of local communities, as well as neglect of customary rights and environmental sustainability.

Dozens of people who are members of the Central Halmahera Anti-Mafia Mining Coalition (KAMTAM-HALTENG) held a demonstration in front of the Attorney General's Building of the Republic of Indonesia on Friday, July 25. This action is a form of concern over the rise of illegal mining practices and distribution of dark diesel fuel fuel (BBM) on Gebe Island.

Carrying banners, demands posters, and loudspeakers, around 50 protesters voiced strong pressure so that the Attorney General's Office immediately intervened to uncover mining and energy crimes that have damaged the environment and living space of people on Gebe Island.

The action was led directly by the Field Coordinator, Badi Farman. He stated that Gebe Island is currently in a state of environmental emergency due to illegal mining activities and organized distribution of dark diesel.

"The state must not remain silent. The Attorney General's Office must act decisively against the mining mafia and the individuals who protect it," said Badi.

In his statement of attitude, KAMTAM-HALTENG called Gebe Island an ecologically fragile but nickel-rich region, thus becoming the target of exploitation by illegal mining companies such as PT MRI. Mining activities are carried out without official permission (IUP) and are not registered in the MODI system belonging to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

In addition, the distribution of diesel fuel used in mining activities is also suspected to come from illegal routes. This indicates that there is an organized energy mafia network that harms the state and the environment.

KAMTAM-HALTENG highlighted the handling of forests, pollution of coastal areas, and violations of customary people's customary rights as a real impact of these activities. Ironically, law enforcement officers in the regions are suspected of conducting omission, even indicated being involved in this crime network.

In its oration, the mass of action conveyed the five main demands:

1. Investigate and take firm action against all illegal mining companies and illegal solar distribution networks on Gebe Island, in accordance with Article 55 of the Criminal Code and the Corruption Crime Act. 2. Capture and imprison the Director of PT MRI who is strongly suspected of being the main actor in illegal mining activities and distribution of diesel. 3. Freeze all mining activities without a permit, and conduct a thorough evaluation of all problematic IUPs in Central Halmahera. 4. Stop all illegal mining practices and the distribution of illegal fuel on Gebe Island, as well as revoke all permits that are indicated to be legally flawed. 5. Urge law enforcement officials to be neutral and not compromise with the mining mafia and the energy mafia.

"We have come to collect the mandate of justice. The law should not only be sharp downwards, but blunt upwards. The Attorney General's Office must intervene," continued Badi Farman.

From observations in Kacepi Village, Central Halmahera, it is known that dozens of local cukong heavy equipment and dump trucks have illegally taken nickel. These activities are carried out in production forest areas without IUP, so that it is certain to cause significant environmental damage.

One of the security officers stated that mining activities were carried out by PT MRI, which is a sub-contractor of PT Smart Marsindo. In early July 2025, a large barge was said to have deployed around 32 excavator units, 12 dump trucks, and one bomb unit. Residents had boycotted loading and unloading activities on illegal jetty, because the land did not yet have legality and was not registered with the MODI system of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

However, the boycott did not last long because of the intervention and coordination between the cukong and related parties. The locations that are the center of attention are among the official concessions belonging to PT Mineral Jaya Molagana, PT Anugrah Sukses Mining (ASM), and PT Bartra Putra Mulia.

Community leaders of Umera Village as well as environmental activists from the Central Halmahera Young Environment Wahana (WALMIH), Mutaliba Ibrahim, said that illegal mining activities had massively damaged the environment.

"Illegal mining this damages the environment. They use heavy equipment such as excavators, dump trucks, and barges. All of this requires thousands of liters of diesel every day," he explained.

According to him, the diesel used in these activities is strongly suspected to have originated from illegal supplies, which adds to the dimension of crime in this case. Through a peaceful action that took place from 13.50 to 15.17 WIB, KAMTAM-HALTENG emphasized that they would continue to oversee the legal process and prepare further action if the demands were not immediately followed up.

This action is a strong warning to the government to uphold ecological justice and not to be subject to short-term economic pressures that actually damage Indonesia's natural heritage.

The exploitation of natural resources in the Maluku region has lasted more than 50 years, leaving a serious impact on the environment and lives of local communities. In a podcast featuring Sultan Tidore, Husain Alting Sjah, together with comedian Abdul Arsyad, discussed how illegal mining activities and various other extractive projects have eroded people's living spaces.

Although this area is rich in potential resources, the exploitation approach is often carried out not paying attention to ecological sustainability or social justice for residents who are directly affected.

In the context of the Sultanate of Tidore, local people still uphold traditional values and customs which are an important part of their cultural identity. However, the entry of national strategic projects driven by government intervention often ignores the basic rights of indigenous peoples.

Their welfare is often marginalized for the sake of extractive economic-based development, without any significant involvement or protection of the customary rights and social structures that have existed for a long time.