President Prabowo Subianto took decisive action by revoking mining permits in Raja Ampat. Four mining business permits (IUP) belonging to PT Anugerah Surya Pratama, PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining, PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa, and PT Nurham were officially revoked. This policy is part of the implementation of Presidential Regulation Number 5 of 2025 concerning Forest Area Regulation, which was signed last January.
The four companies operated without a Work Plan and Budget (RKAB) and an Environmental Impact Analysis (AMDAL). They violated basic mining norms. The concession areas reportedly cover thousands of hectares, some of which are even said to be located within UNESCO Geopark areas that should be protected.
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, confirmed that none of these companies have started production because they do not meet administrative requirements. Of the five companies registered in Raja Ampat Regency, only one has an RKAB. PT Gag Nikel, a subsidiary of PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam), remains in operation.
The Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Setyo Budiyanto, stated that a study on nickel mining had actually been conducted, but the results had not yet been submitted due to stalled internal processes. The state is like setting the net after the fish have escaped—nature is destroyed first, and action is taken later. This is a poor portrait of natural resource management.
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) also warned that mining activities have the potential to violate the rights of indigenous peoples and trigger social conflict. Small islands within the Marine and Fisheries Management Area (WP3K) are legally prohibited from being mined. Small islands are not the inheritance of investors, but belong to future generations. Therefore, simply revoking permits is not enough. Komnas HAM demands environmental restoration and concrete fulfillment of indigenous peoples' rights.
The National Police, through the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), together with the Ministry of Environment (KLH) and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), are currently investigating potential environmental crimes. The Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, confirmed that his ministry is investigating legal violations by companies whose IUPs have been revoked.
Raja Ampat is known as "the last paradise on Earth." Greenpeace notes that its biodiversity is extraordinary. 75 percent of the world's coral species are found here, along with more than 2,500 species of fish, 47 mammal species, and 274 bird species. This area has also been designated by UNESCO as a global geopark—representing the symbiosis of nature, culture, and tourism potential.
Tourism is the backbone of the local economy. Everything depends on a healthy ocean. If the ecosystem is damaged, who will come?
Now the question is: after Raja Ampat, will mining permits in other conservation areas be reviewed? Is this a signal that the small islands in Raja Ampat are the first red line?
This is the moment for the government to initiate a comprehensive audit of all mining permits in Indonesia. Don't let Raja Ampat become a precedent of pain and a false legitimacy that the state is on the side of the people.
Raja Ampat is not just a tourist destination. It is a statement of the nation's morals. The public movement through #SaveRajaAmpat has forced the government to act. But don't stop. If damage is prevented before the crisis, we won't have to patch up deep wounds.
The question now is simple but crucial. Are we preserving paradise, or are we simply offering it to the market? If permit revocations are only carried out after public pressure and visible damage, it means the old patterns are still alive. The state must learn. Permits are not absolute power. Permits are a trust for the nation and its descendants.
Raja Ampat demands it.
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