Editor's Note: Due to security and safety considerations, the reporters, photographers, editors, and contributors directly involved in this reporting project are credited anonymously.
IndonesiaLeaks, a consortium of investigative media organizations in Indonesia, conducted this reporting project to examine how land control is being reshaped under President Prabowo Subianto, focusing on disputed palm oil and mining concessions nationwide.
The investigation tracks plantation and mining land that the government, through the Task Force for Forest Area Order (Satgas PKH), claims to have taken over in the name of restoring state control and forest governance. Journalists mapped these sites using satellite imagery and geospatial data to analyze land use, forest cover, and changes over time. This mapping was combined with targeted field reporting, interviews with affected communities, and consultations with experts in land governance, environmental protection, and security.
By comparing cases across regions, the project identifies recurring patterns behind these takeovers, including the involvement of security forces, the marginalization of local communities, and the rapid reallocation or continued use of land for plantation and mining activities. It also examines whether the land is genuinely rehabilitated, as officially claimed, or transferred to a state-owned company assigned to biodiesel production, raising questions about the true purpose of these interventions.
The findings point to an expanding role of militarized power in land governance, with significant environmental consequences. In contested areas, the investigation challenges Indonesia’s commitment to zero deforestation and seeks to inform public debate on land rights, accountability, and democratic governance.
