Batur Farmers Appeal PTUN Ruling on Tourism Permit
The Batur Farmers Advocacy Coalition has confirmed it will appeal the Jakarta State Administrative Court’s decision not to accept the lawsuit regarding the tourism business permit for PT Tanaya Pesona Batur.
The coalition’s legal representative, Ignatius Rhadite from the Bali Legal Aid Institute (LBH Bali), stated that the ruling failed to address the substance of the case and ignored several trial facts. Therefore, they will challenge the judges’ considerations through an appeal memorandum.
“In the appeal memorandum, we will outline objections to the judges’ reasoning. We see considerations that are inappropriate and do not align with statutory regulations,” he said on Wednesday (15/4/2026).
Mechanically, they will file the appeal statement within a maximum of 14 days. Subsequently, the coalition will prepare the appeal memorandum as the main document to challenge the ruling.
Before filing the lawsuit, the farmers had pursued administrative remedies, including objections to the Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystems Conservation (Dirjen KSDAE) and an administrative appeal to the Minister of Environment and Forestry. However, these efforts received inadequate responses.
The lawsuit was then filed at the Jakarta PTUN on 5 August 2025. On 8 April 2026, the panel of judges decided not to accept the lawsuit.
In the appeal, the coalition will continue to raise key arguments, from alleged legal violations to human rights breaches, including rights to land, environment, and community living space.
“We base this on two things: violations of legal provisions and human rights violations,” he emphasised.
The dispute originated from the issuance of the AMDAL Exemption Approval Letter by the Dirjen KSDAE of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. This decision formed the basis for granting the tourism business permit to PT Tanaya Pesona Batur.
During the trial, the plaintiffs presented 185 documentary evidences, five experts, and one factual witness. The defendants presented 37 evidences, two witnesses, and one expert.
Several irregularities were revealed, including alleged abuse of authority by referring to Government Regulation Number 22 of 2021, where the AMDAL exemption authority is stated to lie with the minister, not the Dirjen KSDAE. Additionally, the application process was deemed non-compliant because it was submitted by the company, not the regional head.
Another fact shows that Bangli Regency only had a Detailed Spatial Plan (RDTR) in 2024, while the permit and AMDAL exemption had been issued since 2021-2022.
The coalition also assessed the permit issuance process as non-participatory because socialisation to the community was conducted after the permit was issued.
“This activity should require an AMDAL and cannot be exempted,” said Rhadite.
Through this appeal, the coalition hopes that the next-level panel of judges will consider the case more comprehensively, both in terms of legal aspects and its impacts on society and the environment.