Enviro News Asia, Bengkulu – The Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia, through the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement (Gakkumhut), has officially resumed the Joint Operation Merah Putih Seblat Landscape in Bengkulu Province. The integrated operation aims to restore approximately 80,978 hectares of forest area, which serves as a critical ecological corridor for the Sumatran Elephant and an important environmental safeguard for surrounding communities.
Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho emphasized that the operation is designed to dismantle organized illegal encroachment networks while maintaining fairness toward local communities who cooperate with authorities.
“This operation is intended to break the chain of illegal encroachment businesses, not to victimize small communities. The government is firmly targeting landowners, financiers, and operators of heavy equipment as the main actors. In addition to criminal prosecution, administrative sanctions will also be imposed on concession holders who violate regulations, along with civil measures to ensure forest restoration and compensation for state losses,” he stated.
The ministry is committed to safeguarding the Seblat Landscape as a crucial habitat for endangered wildlife, including the Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) and the Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae). Land rehabilitation, access control, and boundary management will be conducted in collaboration with regional governments and conservation institutions.
Head of the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency for the Sumatra Region Hari Novianto explained that the 2026 operation began on March 5 and involves multiple agencies, including the Indonesian National Police, the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), the Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS), and the regional Environment and Forestry Agency.
This year’s operation will focus on several key areas, including Seblat Nature Tourism Park, the Air Ipuh production forest area, the Teramang production forest area, and sections of Kerinci Seblat National Park.
The current phase builds on significant achievements during the first stage of the operation at the end of 2025. During that period, the joint task force successfully reclaimed 8,200 hectares of encroached forest land and destroyed at least 24,100 illegal oil palm trees planted within the forest area. Officers also dismantled 186 encroachers’ shelters, cut off seven access bridges, and confiscated heavy equipment including one bulldozer and one excavator.
From a legal standpoint, three encroachment cases have been fully investigated and the suspects are currently undergoing trial proceedings at the Mukomuko District Court.
In the latest operation, the Directorate General of Forestry Law Enforcement continues to prioritize a persuasive approach toward local residents who cooperate with authorities. Investigators have collected statements from village officials to clarify the chain of illegal land transactions occurring in the area.
Authorities have also received positive responses from several residents who have voluntarily agreed to return the land they occupied to the state through formal declarations. The ministry noted that this development demonstrates that forestry law enforcement efforts aim not only to protect forest ecosystems but also to ensure justice for local communities. (*)
