Nurhidayati (middle) Director of WALHI Eknas at a press conference (15/09) at the Jakarta WALHI Eknas office, asked the President to obey the law on Jakarta Bay Reclamation issue. (Photo: WALHI)
JAKARTA, BINADESA.ORG—Statement from the government submitted by the Coordinating Minister of Maritime Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said that the government will continue the reclamation project bay, especially reclaimed Island G. According to The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) the government shows that it is not complying with the law.The Administrative Court (PTUN) Judges has ruled that the reclamation project of Jakarta Bay (Island G) was postponed until it’s legally binding, in consideration of the many other laws that have been violated. The Judges even held that the reclamation damages the environment and inflicts financial loss for the fishermen as plaintiffs.
The Administrative Court (PTUN) Judges has ruled that the reclamation project of Jakarta Bay (Island G) was postponed until it’s legally binding, in consideration of the many other laws that have been violated. The Judges even held that the reclamation damages the environment and inflicts financial loss for the fishermen as plaintiffs.
“What was done by the Coordinating Minister of Maritime was indeed a hard blow for President Joko Widodo. That is because on many occasions, President Joko Widodo promised to commit to enforcing the law. However, it is the government itself that not only disobey the law, but also tarnished the rule of law by going against the court order openly,” uttered Nur Hidayati, National Executive Director of WALHI. “Therefore,” she continued, “WALHI reminds President to respect the law.”
What the Coordinating Minister for Maritime did will be a bad legal precedent for environmental law enforcement in Indonesia. Luhut Panjaitan was showing and practicing development model made haphazard, even defying the Constitution. What was done by the Indonesian government will set an example for local governments that aggressively plot coastal area such as reclamations in Benoa Bay, Makassar, Palu Bay, Kendari Bay, Manado, Balikpapan, and North Maluku. It will also give examples to the local governments that allow its soil and sand to be taken as reclamation materials, a few of which are Banten, West Nusa Tenggara, East Java, and West Java. Destruction of coastal and marine area plus small islands are increasingly gaining legitimacy, as agreed by the central government.
To note, that the affairs of the coastal areas reclamation, Jakarta bay reclamation, including the G Island, are not purely a matter of technical recommendations by means of engineering technology. This is to say, the Coordinating Minister of Maritime sighted that environmental problems can be solved in purely technical way. When speaking about a region, it means we’re also talking about livelihoods in various aspects, such as economics, also social and culture, in addition to the environmental aspect. Farmers, fisher folks, indigenous culture are a few to name that would be the first victims of this policy. That is why the government earlier formed ad hoc team to assess 3 aspects: legal, environmental, and technical aspects.
The ad hoc team had previously recommended the termination of G Island reclaimation. It also indicates that the Coordinating Minister for Maritime does not have the capacity to understand the planning and development of a sustainable and equitable region for both the environment and livelihoods of the people. Whereas in Nawacita obviously say that the government is to set policy permanently, due to this country being at a critical point that the humanitarian disaster caused by environmental damage.
