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View all search resultsHuman Rights Ministry seeks solution amid controversy over Tesso Nilo eviction plan
In April, the government announced its intention to evict around 40,000 people residing in seven villages inside the national park, accusing them of building illegal settlements and cultivating palm oil plantations in protected forest areas.
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Forest rangers and policemen pose in front of a demolished illegal structure inside the Tesso Nilo National Park in Pelalawan regency, Riau, on June 10, 2025. The personnel were part of the Garuda Task Force for Forest Enforcement to rehabilitate forest areas in Indonesia. (Antaranews.com/Forestry Ministry)
T
he Human Rights Ministry has pledged to work with relevant institutions to find the best possible solutions for tens of thousands of people living within the Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau province, amid growing backlash over a government eviction plan.
In April, the government announced its intention to evict around 40,000 people residing in seven villages inside the national park, accusing them of building illegal settlements and cultivating palm oil plantations in protected forest areas.
The plan has sparked widespread protests from local communities and drew strong criticism from the House of Representatives (DPR)’s Commission XIII, which oversees law and human rights affairs. The commission formally rejected the forced eviction proposal earlier this week, citing concerns over potential human rights violations.
Munafrizal Manan, Director General of Human Rights Services and Compliance at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, pledged to work with the Forestry Ministry, local authorities in Riau and residents of Tesso Nilo to find the best possible solution for all parties involved.
“The ministry is committed to ensuring that every government policy is rooted in the protection and fulfillment of human rights for all citizens. Safeguarding the rights of communities living in the Tesso Nilo National Park is a top priority in our efforts to resolve this issue,” Munafrizal said on Wednesday, as quoted by Antaranews.
In January, President Prabowo Subianto established a new task force to strengthen forest governance and crack down on illegal oil palm plantations and unlicensed mining in protected areas across Indonesia.
Among the areas targeted by the task force is Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau, which has long been under scrutiny for environmental damage and widespread forest encroachment. The task force set a deadline of August 22 for residents to vacate the area, announcing plans to demolish unauthorized structures, dismantle illegal palm oil plantations, and rehabilitate the forest ecosystem.
