WALHI Concerning One Year Prabowo's Government: Democracy Resigns And The Environment Is Increasingly Threatened

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) assesses that one year the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka government has shown a more systematic direction of democratic decline and environmental destruction.

They say the current state conditions reflect the dark Indonesia'' reality that not only appears at the national level, but is also felt in various regions.

In his notes, WALHI highlighted government policies that are considered to strengthen militarism, ignore human rights, and continue extractive economic models that sacrifice people's safety and environmental sustainability.

"Illegal Indonesia is not just a hashtag, but a reflection of real conditions under Prabowo-Gibran's leadership," said WALHI National Executive Director, Even Sembiring in his statement, Sunday, October 19.

In the evaluation of one year of Prabowo's administration, WALHI assessed that the fat and ineffective cabinet was a symbol of weak governance and the further the practice of power from the spirit of the constitution.

The ratification of the revision of the TNI Law is one of the main highlights of WALHI. This change of rules is considered to expand the role of the military in civilian space and mark the return of the dominance of armed forces in public affairs.

"Although Prabowo often glorifies the constitution and people's sovereignty in his speech, his government's practice of getting rid of both of them," he said.

Furthermore, Even assessed that the government's ambition to pursue economic growth by 8 percent actually exacerbated inequality and accelerated environmental damage.

"The target of 8 percent economic growth has made the country boost investment, especially from the extraction of natural resources," said Even.

"The choice of economic ways that are capitalistic is increasingly putting the people and the environment under the threat of a crisis. This is further exacerbated by a repressive and militaristic approach," he continued.

WALHI assesses that the Prabowo-Gibran government continues a development pattern that is only in favor of big capital interests. In various regions, exploitation of natural resources increases without being balanced with protecting people's rights and restoring ecosystems.

"As long as the direction of policy is still dictated by the interests of capital and logic of economic growth, the commitment to justice and safety will only be diplomatic rhetoric," he added.