Berita Baru, Jakarta – Civil society representatives in the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Indonesia have urged the government to strengthen the protection of civic space, end the criminalization of citizens, and ensure public access to information in the extractive sector. The call follows an official statement by the EITI Global Board affirming that a safe and open civic space is a fundamental prerequisite for transparent and accountable natural resource governance.
In a press statement issued on Saturday (5 July 2026), civil society representatives in EITI Indonesia expressed their support for the EITI Global Board’s position, which calls on all EITI implementing countries to ensure that civil society participation is meaningful, independent, and free from intimidation.
The coalition highlighted data from the CIVICUS Monitor, which classifies Indonesia as “Obstructed” a category describing countries where civic space faces significant restrictions, including the use of legal instruments to limit or criminalize individuals and groups for expressing criticism.
According to the coalition, the shrinking of civic space has direct implications for the quality of governance and anti-corruption efforts. They also referred to the launch of Transparency International Indonesia’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which identified the decline in civil liberties and access to justice as among the key threats to anti-corruption initiatives.
Astrid Debora Meliala, the civil society representative in the MSG EITI Indonesia, stressed that the issue should not be viewed merely as an administrative matter but as one that affects the credibility of Indonesia’s natural resource governance.
“The EITI Global Board’s statement serves as an important reminder that transparency without a safe and open civic space is merely a formality. We appreciate the Board’s firm position, but this appreciation must be followed by concrete action from both the government and the extractive industry in Indonesia,” said Astrid in the press statement on Saturday (5 July 2026).
The coalition also underscored the limited public access to information in Indonesia’s mining sector. One key concern is the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources’ (MEMR) continued classification of Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) documents for the mineral and coal subsector as exempt from public disclosure.
According to the coalition, restricting access to environmental documents prevents communities from monitoring mining activities that directly affect their livelihoods and living environment. This situation is considered increasingly alarming amid the government’s accelerated critical mineral downstreaming agenda, which requires greater transparency and meaningful public participation.
“At a time when Indonesia is aggressively pursuing critical mineral downstreaming, silencing communities and restricting access to licensing documents only undermines the credibility of EITI Indonesia itself. We therefore demand an immediate evaluation at the MSG level,” Astrid stated.
Beyond access to information, civil society representatives argued that protecting environmental defenders has become increasingly urgent amid the rise in agrarian conflicts and the expansion of extractive industries.
They cited data from the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA), which recorded 241 agrarian conflicts in 2023, with plantations, mining, and property development accounting for the largest share. Meanwhile, the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM) documented at least 45 mining-related conflicts affecting more than 700,000 hectares of land.
The coalition also warned of the growing use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) targeting community members and environmental activists. According to Auriga Nusantara, between 2014 and 2023 there were at least 60 documented cases of threats against environmental defenders in the energy and mining sectors, ranging from intimidation and criminalization to digital attacks.
The coalition expressed concern that the situation could worsen if the ongoing deliberation of the Human Rights Bill (RUU HAM) fails to provide adequate protection for human rights defenders, Indigenous Peoples, women, and communities affected by extractive projects.
In its statement, the coalition presented six demands to the government and relevant stakeholders. These include urging the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to open public access to AMDAL documents and mining permits; calling on the Ministry of Human Rights, the Ministry of Law, and the House of Representatives (DPR RI) to ensure that revisions to the Human Rights Bill do not restrict civic space; and urging the Indonesian National Police to guarantee that communities monitoring the extractive sector are protected from criminalization and intimidation.
The coalition also called on local governments to strengthen protections for local communities, urged mining companies to cease the use of SLAPP lawsuits, and requested that the MSG EITI Indonesia adopt a civic space risk monitoring mechanism in line with the decision adopted by the EITI Global Board in March 2026.
Astrid emphasized that protecting civic space is a prerequisite for enabling communities to oversee natural resource governance without fear and to ensure that the benefits of development are genuinely shared with the public.”We will continue to monitor and advocate for the full implementation of the EITI Standard, including the protection of civic space, as an integral part of strengthening fair, transparent, and accountable natural resource governance in Indonesia,” Astrid concluded.
Source: BeritaBaru.co