"JAKARTA - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ordered prosecutors on Friday to file criminal charges against companies that refuse to cooperate with a task force he launched to crack down on illegal activities in the country's forests.
The task force, made up of military personnel, prosecutors and environmental regulators, has since early 2025 been seizing areas controlled by companies and individuals, ordering them to pay fines for what they describe as illegal business operations in designated forest areas.
A total of 5.88 million hectares (14.5 million acres) of oil palm plantations and 10,257 hectares of mining concessions have been taken over so far, according to the deputy head of the task force, Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin - nearly twice the size of Belgium.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the task force's efforts, Burhanuddin handed 7.23 trillion rupiah ($423.18 million) of fines paid by implicated companies over to the finance ministry."
Stefanno Sulaiman and Gayatri Suroyo report for Reuters April 10, 2026.
