Unaaha Court Set to Rule on Environmental Lawsuit Against Two Nickel Industry Firms in Morosi
KENDARI — The Unaaha District Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on an environmental lawsuit filed by residents of Tani Indah Village and surrounding areas against two major companies in the Morosi industrial zone: PT Obsidian Stainless Steel (OSS) and PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry (VDNI).
The lawsuit represents a community stand against the pollution impact of captive coal-fired power plants owned by the companies, which have operated for years without regard for the safety of residents' living environment.
Residents of Tani Indah have long endured deteriorating environmental conditions. The air is filled with dust, well water has changed colour and taste, and rice paddies are no longer productive. Children complain of shortness of breath, prolonged coughing, and stinging eyes. All of this has occurred in plain sight of the state, whilst residents' voices have been drowned out by the clamour of industrial interests.
PUSPAHAM Southeast Sulawesi, a civil society organisation concerned with ecological justice and communities' right to a healthy environment, declared its full support for the residents' struggle and the ongoing legal process. The organisation believes that the law must serve as a tool to protect citizens, not allow them to become victims of industrial greed.
"We sincerely implore the Honourable Panel of Judges to consider not only the legal facts but also to hear the heartfelt voices of a community that has suffered for years. We believe that justice can still emerge from a clear conscience," said PUSPAHAM Southeast Sulawesi Director Kisran Makati in a press release received on Monday (21 July 2025).
PUSPAHAM stressed that this verdict concerns not just one village but sets an important precedent for environmental protection across all industrial zones in Southeast Sulawesi and Indonesia. The question remains whether the law will side with the safety of the people and the environment, or once again bow to the power of capital.
"We are not seeking confrontation. What we are fighting for is a decent life and a future for our generation. We want to breathe clean air, farm on fertile land, and see our children grow up healthy," said a mother from Tani Indah, her voice trembling.
PUSPAHAM called on all elements of civil society, the media, academics, and state institutions to monitor this verdict as a serious test for environmental law enforcement in Indonesia.
"What is decided in the Unaaha District Court will set the direction — whether we will allow people's living spaces to be destroyed in the name of investment, or stand up for those who have been sacrificed for far too long," Makati concluded.
The lawsuit represents a community stand against the pollution impact of captive coal-fired power plants owned by the companies, which have operated for years without regard for the safety of residents' living environment.
Residents of Tani Indah have long endured deteriorating environmental conditions. The air is filled with dust, well water has changed colour and taste, and rice paddies are no longer productive. Children complain of shortness of breath, prolonged coughing, and stinging eyes. All of this has occurred in plain sight of the state, whilst residents' voices have been drowned out by the clamour of industrial interests.
PUSPAHAM Southeast Sulawesi, a civil society organisation concerned with ecological justice and communities' right to a healthy environment, declared its full support for the residents' struggle and the ongoing legal process. The organisation believes that the law must serve as a tool to protect citizens, not allow them to become victims of industrial greed.
"We sincerely implore the Honourable Panel of Judges to consider not only the legal facts but also to hear the heartfelt voices of a community that has suffered for years. We believe that justice can still emerge from a clear conscience," said PUSPAHAM Southeast Sulawesi Director Kisran Makati in a press release received on Monday (21 July 2025).
PUSPAHAM stressed that this verdict concerns not just one village but sets an important precedent for environmental protection across all industrial zones in Southeast Sulawesi and Indonesia. The question remains whether the law will side with the safety of the people and the environment, or once again bow to the power of capital.
"We are not seeking confrontation. What we are fighting for is a decent life and a future for our generation. We want to breathe clean air, farm on fertile land, and see our children grow up healthy," said a mother from Tani Indah, her voice trembling.
PUSPAHAM called on all elements of civil society, the media, academics, and state institutions to monitor this verdict as a serious test for environmental law enforcement in Indonesia.
"What is decided in the Unaaha District Court will set the direction — whether we will allow people's living spaces to be destroyed in the name of investment, or stand up for those who have been sacrificed for far too long," Makati concluded.