Unaaha District Court to Deliver Landmark Ruling on Environmental Lawsuit Against Nickel Smelter Firms in Morosi
KENDARI – The Unaaha District Court has been described as the determining factor in the fate of residents of Tani Indah Village who have been affected by the activities of two major companies in the Morosi industrial zone, namely PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry (PT VDNI) and PT Obsidian Stainless Steel (PT OSS).
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 PT VDNI and PT OSS. The lawsuit represents a community stand against the pollution impacts of the companies' captive coal-fired power plants, which have operated for years without regard for the safety of residents' living environment.
According to the Centre for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (PUSPAHAM) of Southeast Sulawesi, the people of Tani Indah have long been living in 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 breathing difficulties, persistent coughs 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, as part of civil society concerned with ecological justice and the community's right to a healthy environment, expressed its full support for the residents' struggle and the ongoing legal process.
"We believe that the law must serve as a tool to protect citizens, not allow them to become victims of industrial greed," said PUSPAHAM Southeast Sulawesi Director Kisran Makati in a press statement on Monday (21 July 2025).
"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 be born from a clear conscience," he added.
The verdict hearing concerns not just one village, Kisran continued, but sets an important precedent for environmental protection across all industrial areas 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, plant in fertile soil, and see our children grow up healthy," said a mother from Tani Indah Village, her voice trembling.
PUSPAHAM Southeast Sulawesi 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 the nation will allow the living spaces of its people to be destroyed in the name of investment, or stand in defence of those who have been sacrificed for far too long.
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 PT VDNI and PT OSS. The lawsuit represents a community stand against the pollution impacts of the companies' captive coal-fired power plants, which have operated for years without regard for the safety of residents' living environment.
According to the Centre for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (PUSPAHAM) of Southeast Sulawesi, the people of Tani Indah have long been living in 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 breathing difficulties, persistent coughs 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, as part of civil society concerned with ecological justice and the community's right to a healthy environment, expressed its full support for the residents' struggle and the ongoing legal process.
"We believe that the law must serve as a tool to protect citizens, not allow them to become victims of industrial greed," said PUSPAHAM Southeast Sulawesi Director Kisran Makati in a press statement on Monday (21 July 2025).
"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 be born from a clear conscience," he added.
The verdict hearing concerns not just one village, Kisran continued, but sets an important precedent for environmental protection across all industrial areas 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, plant in fertile soil, and see our children grow up healthy," said a mother from Tani Indah Village, her voice trembling.
PUSPAHAM Southeast Sulawesi 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 the nation will allow the living spaces of its people to be destroyed in the name of investment, or stand in defence of those who have been sacrificed for far too long.