3 NGOs Demand Issue on Prabowo's HGU Not Used as Political Tool

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Three non-governmental organizations or NGO in environmental sector, namely Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI), Greenpeace Indonesia, and Indonesian Center of Environmental Law (ICEL), demanded an issue on the cultivation right permit (HGU) recently became public spotlight not be used as a mere political tool between Joko Widodo or Jokowi camp and Prabowo Subianto camp.

The request was issued in response to the statement of Jokowi during the second presidential election debate, saying that his opponent Prabowo owned 220,000 hectares of land in East Kalimantan and 120,000 hectares of land in Central Aceh last Sunday. During the session, Prabowo admitted of controlling plots of state land with a status of HGU.

“This piece of information released by presidential candidate number 01 is an irony, where information that should be made public, and that previously hidden, was disclosed in a debate stage of presidential candidates as an effort to preserve the reign,” said Mufti Barri, manager of campaign and policy intervention of FWI, in a press release today, February 20.

Read: Prabowo Paid Millions in Cash for Industrial Forestland, says VP

Meanwhile, he opined, the urgency in exposing HGU information; such as solving a social conflict, overlapping permits, and deforestation, was set aside.

ICEL Director Henri Subagiyo supported the revelation of HGU information conveyed by Jokowi. However, he lamented the inconsistency behavior of Jokowi in light of the issue.

Henri pinned hope Prabowo could wisely respond to the matter. Moreover, Prabowo had stated his vision on a more evenly distributed and just management of natural resources (SDA).

“It is impossible to actualize it if people do not have information and control on the HGU permit issuance which is still being closed until today and can be accessed only by some people,” Henri added.

Greenpeace Indonesia also urged the government to publicize all information about HGU so that the public could acknowledge which party has a privilege in controlling plots of land.

“If Jokowi and Prabowo really concern about environment and transparency issue, they should put care and fully support this information disclosure issue on HGU,” said Asep Komarudin, a forest campaigner of Greenpeace Indonesia.

RYAN DWIKY ANGGRIAWAN