JakartaPost/Antara-July 31, 2026
The government’s plan to clear over 900 hectares of forest land for military territorial development battalions has drawn criticism from environmentalists, who warn the move could accelerate deforestation and undermine the ecological functions of Indonesia’s forests. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin received 17 Forest Area Use Approvals (PPKH) from Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni this week, allowing the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) to use 961 hectares of forest land to build territorial development battalion bases across the country. The program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto, a former Army general, was launched in November last year and aims to establish 750 bases across all 514 regencies and municipalities. As of April, 155 bases had been built. The battalions are tasked with noncombat missions, including supporting food security, infrastructure projects and crime prevention. But the initiative has sparked concerns among civil society groups, who argue it further expands the military’s roles in civilian affairs. Sjafrie said the forest conversion would be carried out “in an orderly and measured manner according to existing laws, while maintaining environmental sustainability.”
Environmentalists, however, questioned both the ecological impact and the rationale behind the project. Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) campaigner Uli Arta Siagian warned that establishing battalion bases in forest areas would become a “driver of deforestation”, weakening forests’ ability to retain water and absorb carbon while increasing the risk of ecological disasters. She also questioned the need for the project, saying it could displace communities that depend on forests and encourage further land conversion. “It is only reasonable for us to ask whose needs these new battalions are meant to serve and whose interests they represent.”
Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Arie Rompas likewise urged the government to disclose whether the approved areas are in convertible production forests, protected forests or conservation forests, while questioning the urgency of clearing more forest land as Indonesia continues to struggle with deforestation. Read more at:
https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/07/31/battalion-expansion-raises-deforestation-fears?utm_source=(direct)&utm_medium=home_latest
