Otorita IKN enforces law against illegal land clearing in Bukit Soeharto forest

The Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) has launched a large-scale law enforcement operation to protect the Bukit Soeharto Great Forest Park (Tahura) from illegal occupation and land clearing. A joint task force, including the TNI, police, and regional prosecutors, has begun clearing illegal structures in several villages within the IKN delineation area, including Bakungan, Loa Duri Ulu, and Loa Duri Ilir.

Authorities are targeting individuals and entities, including those claiming to be business enterprises, who have illegally occupied forest land. Irjen Edgar Diponegoro noted that many occupants are outsiders without local residency who have built huts and established plantations in violation of forestry laws. Thomas Umbu Pati Tena Bolodadi, Deputy for Development Control at OIKN, stated that the enforcement will be transparent and applied equally across the entire conservation area to prevent further massive land clearing.

Mapping by OIKN indicates that approximately 36 percent of the 64,814-hectare Tahura Bukit Soeharto area is currently controlled by communities and legal entities, while 60 percent remains unclaimed. Officials warned that individual encroachers are often occupying between two to five hectares of land, necessitating urgent action to preserve the forest as a vital ecological component of the new capital.