Nagan Raya, August 19, 2025 – Commemorating World Orangutan Day, the APEL Green Aceh Foundation, along with civil society networks, is once again highlighting the ongoing environmental crisis in Rawa Tripa, Aceh. The case of PT Kallista Alam (PT KA), which was found guilty of burning and destroying peat ecosystems, remains pending, despite the Supreme Court's clear ruling.

APEL Green Aceh has sent an official letter to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, demanding clarification regarding the ongoing or past peace agreement with PT Kallista Alam. We emphasize that this case is not simply a legal issue, but also a matter of the public's right to a healthy and safe environment.

"The people and nature have been waiting for justice for a long time. If the court's decision is rephrased as a peace settlement that mitigates the damage done by corporations, it would be tantamount to robbing the community of its rights and betraying Indonesian environmental law. Tripa Swamp is more than just peatland; it is home to orangutans, a protected wildlife habitat, and our natural bulwark against the climate crisis," asserted Syukur, Director of APEL Green Aceh.

Key points conveyed by APEL Green Aceh:

1. Public Transparency
2. The Environment and Forestry Ministry must openly explain the form, substance, and legal basis of the peace agreement with PT Kallista Alam.
3. Every step of resolution concerning strategic ecosystems and public rights must be carried out openly, not behind a desk.
4. Legal Certainty and Environmental Justice
5. A peace agreement that reduces the obligation to restore the environment or provide compensation will harm the community's sense of justice, especially the direct victims of Tripa Swamp.
6. This threatens to set an important legal precedent for other environmental cases and negates the Supreme Court's clear message: serious environmental violations must not be allowed to go unpunished.
7. Restoration of the Tripa Swamp Peat Ecosystem
8. Environmental restoration must be a top priority, in accordance with Law No. 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management, and Law No. 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry.
9. The recovery process must involve civil society, academics, and local governments, and be carried out in a transparent, measurable, and accountable manner.

APEL Green Aceh emphasized that enforcing court decisions is not an option, but an obligation. Any peace move that weakens the obligations of destructive corporations is simply further torture for nature and the affected communities.

"True justice doesn't stop on paper; it must be truly present among the people and nature. The government must be present, ensuring the Tripa Swamp is restored, not negotiated. We demand that the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Forestry open up dialogue with civil society and local communities to ensure ecosystem restoration is carried out genuinely, not half-heartedly," added Syukur Tadu.

APEL Green Aceh emphasized that the momentum of Orangutan Day should be an alarm for the public and the government: if the execution of PT Kallista Alam continues to stall, not only will orangutans and peatlands be lost, but public trust in the law and environmental protection will also be eroded.