Gayo Lues, July 24, 2025 – Aceh. Under Indonesian law, a protected forest is a designated state area meant to safeguard the essential systems of life: water, soil, and biodiversity. But in Gayo Lues, Aceh, that purpose now stands at risk. A mining company called PT Gayo Mineral Resources (GMR) is alleged to have driven its concession deep into the heart of the protected forest—and even into the boundaries of the Gunung Leuser National Park, a legally recognized conservation area of national importance.
Recent evidence reveals that the Mining Business Permit (IUP) area of PT GMR overlaps not just one, but three critical zones: protected forest (HL), limited production forest (HPT), and nature reserve area (KSA). What’s more alarming, a situational map distributed since April 2025 indicates that the company’s designated work area directly overlaps with the core zone of Gunung Leuser National Park (TNGL)—a region where exploration and exploitation activities are strictly prohibited by law.
Satellite imagery from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s geoportal clearly shows PT GMR’s operational footprint covering areas such as Pantan Cuaca, Dabun Gelang, Rikit Gaib, and Blangkejeren—all shaded purple, the official color denoting TNGL. Most of this area also falls within protected forest classification, not merely due to its conservation status, but for its vital ecological function as a water regulator and natural disaster buffer.
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“Protected forests are not playgrounds. They are the source of our water and the natural defense for people’s land. If you mine a protected forest, floods, landslides, and droughts are just a matter of time,” said Tengku Samsir Ali M. Pang Rayang, Chairman of GNPK Jakarta and a member of the Gerindra Party.
He strongly condemned PT GMR’s operations, stating they “not only encroach on state land, but also rip apart the very dignity of environmental law.” Samsir emphasized that protected forests are not vacant lands corporations can seize at will. He urged the President and the Minister of Environment and Forestry to directly intervene before further environmental destruction occurs.
“I say this not just as a party member, but as a citizen of this country. If the government remains silent, this isn’t just an administrative violation—it’s a betrayal of the homeland,” he declared.
The company’s map also contains a glaring inconsistency. In its reference section, the forest area data is listed as sourced from a ministerial decree for North Maluku Province—even though the concession lies in Aceh Province. This discrepancy raises serious suspicion that the company may have compiled its licensing documents using false or copy-pasted data from another province without proper spatial validation.
As of publication, PT GMR has not issued any response. Emails and official phone contacts went unanswered. Meanwhile, the Aceh Provincial Environmental and Forestry Agency stated it has never received any documents relating to Forest Area Borrow-Use Permits (IPPKH) or Environmental Impact Assessments (AMDAL) under PT GMR’s name.
According to regulations, any activity entering a protected forest or national park must obtain special permits issued by the Ministry—permits that are only granted under extraordinary circumstances and for national, not corporate, interests.
Tengku Samsir announced that GNPK will send formal letters to the Minister of Environment and Forestry and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), demanding a full investigation into PT GMR’s permits. “We demand an immediate shutdown, seizure of all documents, and prosecution of any officials who approved this. Protected forests must not become spoils for mining elites,” he stressed.
Protected forests are not mining zones. They are where water is stored, landslides are prevented, air is filtered, and life is sustained. When mountainous regions like Gayo Lues—with high rainfall and steep slopes—are opened to mining, ecological disaster becomes a question of when, not if.
The state can no longer hide behind bureaucratic procedures. The evidence is clear: PT GMR’s concession lies in a triple-prohibited zone—national park, protected forest, and nature reserve. If exploration is allowed to continue, the government itself is complicit in systematic environmental destruction.
And if the law can no longer protect our forests—what remains of this nation’s dignity?
Reported by: Baranews Investigative Team
