TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Sumatra residents, through the Ecological Justice Advocacy Team, are preparing to file a citizen lawsuit against 12 state officials for alleged negligence in preventing and handling ecological disasters that have struck the region since late November 2025.
The initiative coincides with the International Human Rights Day on December 10 and comes ten days after the government disregarded calls from the YLBHI-LBH in Sumatra to declare national disaster status for the Sumatra floods.
The Ecological Justice Advocacy Team is acting as legal representatives for the affected communities in the cities of Padang and the districts of Agam, Tanah Datar, and Solok.
The lawsuit targets state officials, from the president to regional heads, who are deemed negligent in spatial planning oversight, disaster mitigation, and environmental law enforcement.
Adrizal, a representative of the Ecological Justice Advocacy Team, asserts that the disaster, which claimed 238 lives, left 93 missing, and injured 113 in West Sumatra alone - with floods and landslides also affecting North Sumatra and Aceh - is not solely a natural consequence.
"It is a planned disaster resulting from the brutal exploitation of forests without evaluation and oversight," he said.
According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) as of December 10, 2025, the disasters damaged 8,300 houses in West Sumatra. Additionally, 486 public facilities, 216 educational facilities, 65 healthcare facilities, 205 places of worship, 29 buildings, and 64 bridges were damaged.
The series of disasters began on November 26, 2025, in the Agam district, after continuous downpour from November 20 and extreme rainfall reaching 154 mm/day according to BMKG.
The Ecological Justice Advocacy Team views the disaster as a systematic negligence due to a permissive manner against uncontrolled mining practices and illegal logging, mismanagement of permits, sanctioned deforestation, and long-term damage to watersheds.
"As a result of this neglect, hundreds of lives were lost, hundreds of public facilities were affected, thousands of people were injured, and hundreds of homes were destroyed," said Adrizal, adding that the government thus far has failed to fulfill the basic rights of the survivors, such as emergency assistance and accurate data collection.
He explained that findings from the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) in Padang confirmed that many disaster points were located in areas where the land had been converted, vulnerable zones had been repurposed, or watersheds had been designated for settlements and authorized activities.
Data from the West Sumatra Forestry Service indicated deforestation of more than 28,000 hectares throughout 2025, with a total forest cover loss reaching 48,174 hectares from 2020 to 2024.
Ecological damage is exacerbated by the weak law enforcement against illegal logging and mining. Several cases indicate the involvement of law enforcement officers.
Adrizal referred to illegal gold mining in Nagari Simanau, Tigo Lurah District, Solok Regency; illegal mining in Sulik Aie, Solok Regency; illegal logging in the upstream area of the Padang watershed; illegal activities in the Megamendung Natural Tourist Park area; and illegal logging in the Maninjau Nature Reserve.
"Shootour between police officers in the illegal mining case in South Solok, cases of illegal mining in Lubuak Matuang, which resumed operations just two weeks after being closed by the West Sumatra Regional Police, illegal mining activities in Sungai Abu Solok Village, which had been reported by the community since 2017/2018 but never followed up, resulting in dozens of deaths due to landslides, should be a red alert to strengthen law enforcement," he said.
Lawsuit Targets 12 State Officials
The citizen lawsuit is filed agaist 12 state officials, including: Indonesian president; the Minister of Forestry; the Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas; the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of BPN; the Minister of Home Affairs; the Head of BNPB; the Chief of Police of Indonesia and the Regional Police Chief of West Sumatra; the Governor of West Sumatra; the Mayor of Padang; the Regent of Agam; the Regent of Tanah Datar; and the Regent of Solok.
They are accused of negligence, authorizing, falsely issuing permits, mishandling spatial planning, and failing to conduct oversight and law enforcement, which led to the exacerbation of the disaster scale.
Residents said the state has failed to fulfill its constitutional obligation to protect the safety of the people and preserve ecosystem sustainability, as outlined in the 1945 Constitution, Environmental Law, Spatial Planning Law, Disaster Management Law, and international human rights instruments such as ICESCR and the Paris Agreement.
Adrizal also underscored the tug of war between the central and regional governments that hindered disaster management efforts. "Not only is shifting responsibility between the central and regional governments unethical, but it also increases risks for residents," he said.
Residents are calling on the state to evaluate the permits, halt practices that violate spatial planning, and conduct fair and just recovery. The Citizen Lawsuit notification was sent to all relevant agencies today by mail and direct delivery. If no tangible action is taken within 60 working days, the lawsuit will be filed with the Padang State Administrative Court.
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