Walhi Questions PKH Task Force to Involve Defense Minister Sjafrie to Expand Military Role

Public discussion 'Defense Policy and the Expansion of the Military's Role in the Civil Sphere: Between National Strategic Needs and New Dual-Use Risks' in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 (VOI)

JAKARTA - The National Executive Campaign Coordinator of the Environmental Society (WALHI), Uli Arta Siagian, questioned the forest area enforcement task force (Satgas PKH) which involved the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and the involvement of the military in the task of enforcing illegal mining in Indonesia.

This was explained by Uli Arta Siagian in a discussion held by the Indonesia Youth Congress, entitled 'Defense Policy and the Expansion of the Military's Role in the Civil Space: Between National Strategic Needs and New Dual-Use Risks' in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

"These forests and natural resources are a civilian context, civilian work. And Indonesia already has related ministries that have been given mandates and authority to regulate, manage, and enforce laws against violations that occur in the context of the environment and natural resources," explained Uli Arta.

According to Uli, Walhi basically questioned; why is the policy taken not to strengthen these ministries? Including, for example, if you carry out law enforcement against environmental violations, it is clear that it is the domain of the law enforcement in the Ministry of Environment and the Police.

"But indeed, we basically encourage strengthening the technical ministries that handle forest issues and law enforcement officers who are given mandates by laws that deal with the natural resources sector," said Uli.

He said, if we look at the performance of the PKH Task Force from the beginning to the present, where palm oil and mining companies are where they are mining without permits. In fact, until now, where the task has been expanded, not only forest affairs, but also outside the forest area.

"This can be seen from the handling and revocation of 28 company permits that caused flooding in Sumatra yesterday," he explained.

It must be admitted, said Uli, the natural resources sector has many cases of corruption. But, the problem cannot be answered by including the military in it. Walhi sees, the existence of the PKH Task Force is not to carry out law enforcement and law enforcement, but other interests outside of law enforcement. One of them, strengthening the role of the military, which ultimately weakens or reduces the work of civil institutions, including worsening the aspects of human rights and democracy in Indonesia.

For information, the Government formed a Task Force (Satgas) to Order Forest Areas through Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 5 of 2025. The Satgas formed by President Prabowo Subianto was given a major mandate to eradicate illegal activities in forest areas, improve land management, and maximize state revenue.

The Forest Area Enforcement Task Force is directly under the coordination of the President. The organizational structure of the Task Force includes a Director led by the Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and an Executive led by the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes, Attorney General's Office.

As the Director, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin was assisted by the Chief Prosecutor General Sanitiar Burhanuddin, Commander of the Indonesian National Army (TNI) General Agus Subiyanto, Head of the Indonesian National Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, as well as several ministers, including the Minister of Forestry, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, and Minister of Agrarian Affairs.

In addition to Uli Arta Siagian as the National Executive Campaign Coordinator of Walhi, this discussion also featured a number of speakers, namely Ikrar Nusa Bakti as a Professor of Political Science; Firdaus Syam as a Lecturer of Political Science at the National University of Jakarta; Ray Rangkuti as Executive Director of LIMA Indonesia; and Haris Azhar as Founder of Lokataru Foundation;

Meanwhile, participants who attended this activity were youth and student organizations, researchers, academics, and the general public.