West Sumatra Civil Society Coalition Deems Forest Exploitation Permit on Sipora Island Environmentally Unviable
PADANG — The West Sumatra Civil Society Coalition has deemed the planned forest utilisation by PT Sumber Permata Sipora (PT SPS) on Sipora Island, Mentawai Islands Regency, environmentally unviable.
The assessment was issued following the publication of a commitment approval letter from Investment Minister/BKPM Head Bahlil Lahadalia on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Forestry on 28 March 2023. Under the letter numbered 28032311111309002, PT SPS was granted management rights over 20,706 hectares for the utilisation of natural timber forest products, non-timber forest products, and environmental services.
However, the coalition argues that the permit contravenes Law No. 27 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 6 of 2023 on Coastal Zone and Small Islands Management. Sipora Island covers only 615 square kilometres, classifying it as a small island that by law must be prioritised for conservation and sustainable use.
"Sipora Island falls within the category of small islands that must not be exploited on a large scale," said Rifai, the coalition's spokesperson.
Tommy Adam from the Institutional Strengthening and Environmental Law Division of Walhi West Sumatra added that there are discrepancies between the coordinates of the business location in the spatial utilisation approval documents and the actual location on the ground. "After checking through the GIS system, the permit coordinates actually point to Ciwaringin Sub-district, Central Bogor District, Bogor City, West Java — not Sipora Island," Tommy revealed.
The coalition also uncovered irregularities in PT SPS's licensing and environmental impact assessment (AMDAL) documents. For instance, there are inconsistencies in the Indonesian Standard Industrial Classification (KBLI) between the held permits and those listed in the environmental documents. "PT SPS is recorded as holding KBLI 02111 for plantation forest timber utilisation. However, the environmental approval application lists KBLI 02121 and 0230 for natural forest timber and non-timber forest product utilisation," Rifai explained.
Furthermore, PT SPS's AMDAL was found to lack analysis of impacts on coastal and marine areas, failed to identify construction material sources for 130 kilometres of road, and disregarded the presence of endemic wildlife and marginalised community groups such as women cultivators of local food crops (toek).
"The AMDAL preparation process was also highly non-participatory. Only four people per village were invited, and they did not represent the interests of the community as a whole," added Rifai, who is also Chairman of the Citra Mandiri Mentawai Foundation.
The coalition noted that 29 disasters have occurred in Sipora over the past two years, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and coastal erosion. Large-scale logging is feared to worsen these conditions. "The recent flooding in Sipora is a signal from nature that massive forest management is not viable," Rifai stressed.
On this basis, the West Sumatra Civil Society Coalition issued five demands: urging the Forestry Minister and Investment Minister/BKPM to immediately revoke PT SPS's commitment approval permit for forest utilisation, citing procedural, substantive, and administrative defects that endanger the environment and the livelihoods of indigenous communities on Sipora Island, Mentawai Islands.
The coalition also called on the central and regional governments to enforce the provisions of Law No. 27 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 6 of 2023 on Coastal Zone and Small Islands Management, which explicitly states that small islands such as Sipora must be prioritised for conservation, education, research, sustainable tourism, and local food security — not large-scale forest exploitation.
Additionally, the coalition urged the West Sumatra Provincial Environmental Feasibility Assessment Team to declare PT SPS's business plan environmentally unviable and for the Central AMDAL Assessment Commission not to issue environmental approval for PT SPS's forest utilisation permit.
The coalition further demanded the cancellation of PT SPS's AMDAL documents on grounds that they were prepared without adequate public participation, lacked primary data, contained numerous technical errors, and disregarded critical aspects such as biodiversity, disaster vulnerability, socio-economic impacts, and indigenous rights.
Finally, the coalition rejected all forms of natural forest logging on Sipora Island, arguing it would exacerbate the ecological crisis, increase disaster risk, and threaten the sustainable livelihoods of indigenous and local communities, particularly marginalised groups such as women cultivators of local food crops (toek).
The assessment was issued following the publication of a commitment approval letter from Investment Minister/BKPM Head Bahlil Lahadalia on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Forestry on 28 March 2023. Under the letter numbered 28032311111309002, PT SPS was granted management rights over 20,706 hectares for the utilisation of natural timber forest products, non-timber forest products, and environmental services.
However, the coalition argues that the permit contravenes Law No. 27 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 6 of 2023 on Coastal Zone and Small Islands Management. Sipora Island covers only 615 square kilometres, classifying it as a small island that by law must be prioritised for conservation and sustainable use.
"Sipora Island falls within the category of small islands that must not be exploited on a large scale," said Rifai, the coalition's spokesperson.
Tommy Adam from the Institutional Strengthening and Environmental Law Division of Walhi West Sumatra added that there are discrepancies between the coordinates of the business location in the spatial utilisation approval documents and the actual location on the ground. "After checking through the GIS system, the permit coordinates actually point to Ciwaringin Sub-district, Central Bogor District, Bogor City, West Java — not Sipora Island," Tommy revealed.
The coalition also uncovered irregularities in PT SPS's licensing and environmental impact assessment (AMDAL) documents. For instance, there are inconsistencies in the Indonesian Standard Industrial Classification (KBLI) between the held permits and those listed in the environmental documents. "PT SPS is recorded as holding KBLI 02111 for plantation forest timber utilisation. However, the environmental approval application lists KBLI 02121 and 0230 for natural forest timber and non-timber forest product utilisation," Rifai explained.
Furthermore, PT SPS's AMDAL was found to lack analysis of impacts on coastal and marine areas, failed to identify construction material sources for 130 kilometres of road, and disregarded the presence of endemic wildlife and marginalised community groups such as women cultivators of local food crops (toek).
"The AMDAL preparation process was also highly non-participatory. Only four people per village were invited, and they did not represent the interests of the community as a whole," added Rifai, who is also Chairman of the Citra Mandiri Mentawai Foundation.
The coalition noted that 29 disasters have occurred in Sipora over the past two years, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and coastal erosion. Large-scale logging is feared to worsen these conditions. "The recent flooding in Sipora is a signal from nature that massive forest management is not viable," Rifai stressed.
On this basis, the West Sumatra Civil Society Coalition issued five demands: urging the Forestry Minister and Investment Minister/BKPM to immediately revoke PT SPS's commitment approval permit for forest utilisation, citing procedural, substantive, and administrative defects that endanger the environment and the livelihoods of indigenous communities on Sipora Island, Mentawai Islands.
The coalition also called on the central and regional governments to enforce the provisions of Law No. 27 of 2007 as amended by Law No. 6 of 2023 on Coastal Zone and Small Islands Management, which explicitly states that small islands such as Sipora must be prioritised for conservation, education, research, sustainable tourism, and local food security — not large-scale forest exploitation.
Additionally, the coalition urged the West Sumatra Provincial Environmental Feasibility Assessment Team to declare PT SPS's business plan environmentally unviable and for the Central AMDAL Assessment Commission not to issue environmental approval for PT SPS's forest utilisation permit.
The coalition further demanded the cancellation of PT SPS's AMDAL documents on grounds that they were prepared without adequate public participation, lacked primary data, contained numerous technical errors, and disregarded critical aspects such as biodiversity, disaster vulnerability, socio-economic impacts, and indigenous rights.
Finally, the coalition rejected all forms of natural forest logging on Sipora Island, arguing it would exacerbate the ecological crisis, increase disaster risk, and threaten the sustainable livelihoods of indigenous and local communities, particularly marginalised groups such as women cultivators of local food crops (toek).