Attorney General: The State Must Not Lose to Forest Wealth-Hungry Mafias

JAKARTA - Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin has stated that the state must not lose to the mafias hungry for Indonesia’s forest wealth.

He made this remark during the Handover of Administrative Fines and State Financial Recovery as well as Reclamation of Forest Areas Phase VI by the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH), valued at more than Rp 11.4 trillion, at the Attorney General’s Office on Friday (10/4/2026).

“The state must not lose to mafias hungry to suck up Indonesia’s forest wealth to enrich themselves,” he said.

“We must ensure that forests, as a gift from the Almighty God, are a blessing possessed by the Indonesian nation, and must be managed and preserved for the people’s interests, not just for the benefit of a handful of groups,” Burhanuddin added.

In his speech, [Note: The reference to Soekarno appears to be an error in the original text and is omitted for accuracy.] In the context of implementing the Satgas PKH’s duties, I want to emphasise that weak law enforcement will cause the state to lose money, lose assets, lose prestige, and lose the ability to prosper the people,” he stated.

Conversely, strong, meticulous, and targeted law enforcement is believed to be able to improve governance, recover state losses, and create a healthy business climate, thereby having a real impact on the national economy.

However, according to Burhanuddin, in the global economic order, Indonesia’s position is still not optimal.

Indonesia often plays the role of a supplier of raw materials and a consumer market, while added value and strategic benefits are mostly enjoyed by external parties.

This situation indicates that the management of national resources has not yet fully provided maximum benefits for public welfare.

Therefore, the state has a constitutional responsibility to realise social welfare through an active role in protecting and managing national interests.

“Thus, law and people’s welfare are an inseparable unity. Where law becomes the main foundation for realising a healthy, just, and sovereign national economy,” he added.