The Forest Enforcement Task Force Above the Law

April 17, 2026 | 12:26 pm

The Forest Area Enforcement Task Force detains Samin Tan, becoming an instrument of pressure rather than transparent law enforcement.

THE Attorney General’s Office was putting on a show of power, rather than law enforcement, when arresting Samin Tan. The coal tycoon was detained just after leaving the office of the Forest Areas Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH), which was established by the Prabowo Subianto administration with the involvement of the AGO, which now prioritizes pressure over legal certainty.

This case stems from the coal mining activities of Samin Tan’s Asmin Koalindo Tuhup (AKT) in Murung Raya, Central Kalimantan. The company owned a business permit covering 21,630 hectares, which the government revoked in 2017. However, it is alleged that mining operations continued unlawfully until 2025, resulting in the illegal land clearing of 1,699 hectares.

These facts show a severe oversight lapse. That unauthorized activities could persist for years suggests deliberate negligence, fueling suspicions of involvement by government officials, including law enforcement officers. To date, the Attorney General’s Office has yet to charge any state officials suspected of failing in their oversight duties. The legal process in this case has far from reached the entire chain of responsibility.

However, there are applicable laws. Articles 110A and 110B of the Job Creation Law state that prolonged violations in forest areas are punishable by administrative sanctions in the form of a fine, not criminal penalties, as underlined in Government Regulation No. 24/2021 as well as Regulation of the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister.

These provisions are accompanied by a clear formula for calculating the fine. For coal mining, the tariff is set at Rp354 million per hectare. For a total of 1,699 hectares, the total fine should be Rp601.4 billion, far below the Rp4.248 trillion imposed by the Satgas PKH. This difference clearly shows that the fine is not proportional.

On the other side, the company has tried the administrative route. AKT appealed, asking to be allowed to pay in installments until February 2027, and even transferred around US$7 million as an initial payment. But this process ended with an arrest.

And it is here that the role of Satgas PKH becomes crucial. As an extrajudicial institution, it moves outside the normal legal mechanism. Its actions are swift and coercive, and oriented towards the payment of fines. Its targets of enforcement and state revenues encourage a more fiscal approach.

As of January 2026, Satgas PKH had only processed 71 out of 683 companies it had targeted. In its most recent press conference, attended by President Prabowo Subianto on April 10, 2026, the task force claimed it had prevented the potential loss of state revenues amounting to Rp31.3 trillion. The government also stated it had reclaimed 5.8 million hectares for palm oil plantations and more than 10,000 hectares for mining. At the same time, of the many corporations damaging forests, including those linked to the floods in Sumatra, only a small proportion have faced serious legal action.

These achievements do not necessarily justify the methods employed. In fact, these approaches have led to a lack of transparency and selective enforcement, while providing the opportunity for legal violations by ignoring still-valid land cultivation rights (HGU). In several cases, the crackdowns were followed by the transfer of land management to other parties, such as Agrinas, a newly formed company affiliated with the administration circle.

Law enforcement has become an instrument of coercion. As revenue from forestry fines is being channeled to fund government programs under President Prabowo Subianto, the law simultaneously turns into a fiscal instrument. Without transparency, consistency, and a clear legal basis, the Forest Areas Enforcement Task Force risks becoming a tool of power operating outside the principles of the rule of law.

Read the Complete Story in Tempo English Magazine

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