Banda Aceh, June 2, 2025 — The APEL Green Aceh Foundation together with the Civil Society Network consisting of local, national and international CSOs who are members of Save Tripa Swamp for Indonesian Biodiversity Conservation expressed their deep concern over the slow process of executing the court's decision against two large palm oil companies, PT Kallista Alam and PT Surya Panen Subur II (SPS II), which have been proven legally guilty in the case of peatland burning in the Tripa Swamp area, Aceh.

Through an open letter that we have sent to a number of agencies at the district, provincial, and national levels, such as the Regent of Nagan Raya, the Nagan Raya DPRK, the Governor of Aceh, the Aceh DPRA, the Aceh High Court, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the DPRI Commission III, the Ministry of Environment, and the Supreme Court Supervisory Body, we voice our urgency for all court decisions that have become final and transparent to be executed immediately in a comprehensive and transparent manner. The slow implementation reflects the weak commitment to environmental law enforcement which should be the main foundation for protecting critical ecosystems in Indonesia.

PT Kallista Alam itself has been sentenced to various court decisions starting from the Meulaboh District Court to the Supreme Court, with a total obligation reaching IDR 366 billion, consisting of IDR 114.3 billion for material compensation and IDR 251.7 billion for environmental recovery costs. Although the company is known to have started paying compensation in installments, until now the environmental recovery and payment of Rp 5 million per day for the delay in implementing the decision have not been fully implemented.

Meanwhile, PT Surya Panen Subur II (SPS II) has been found guilty through a court since 2018 and is required to pay compensation of Rp136.8 billion and restore 1,200 hectares of burned land worth Rp302.1 billion. However, until now there has been no concrete step in following up on the execution of the verdict.

This delay is not just a matter of legal administration, but is a form of denial of the public's sense of justice and a serious threat to the integrity of the environmental legal system in Indonesia. The impact of peatland burning in Tripa Swamp is not trivial, it destroys the habitat of endemic species, triggers the release of large amounts of carbon emissions, and disrupts the lives of local communities who depend on this area for their livelihoods.

We call on all parties, both in regional and central government, as well as legal institutions that have the authority, to take firm and responsible steps in accelerating the implementation of all court decisions that have permanent legal force, environmental restoration must be a priority, it cannot be postponed, let alone ignored.

Tripa swamp is an important part of the vast biodiversity of Indonesia and an irreplaceable natural heritage. It is time for the state to show real support for the environment and its people, by ensuring that companies that have damaged the environment must be held fully responsible according to applicable laws.