Environmental Defenders Under Threat: Violence, Criminalization, and the Shrinking Space for Ecological Democracy in Indonesia

Erika Putri Hutagalung; Ahmed Rabbi Mubarak

doi:10.65815/dff86c69

Authors

Erika Putri Hutagalung Universitas Sumatera Utara Author
Ahmed Rabbi Mubarak Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65815/dff86c69

Keywords:

environmental defenders, criminalization, ecological democracy, human rights, environmental justice

Abstract

Environmental defenders play a crucial role in challenging ecological destruction, documenting environmental harm, and representing community interests in conflicts over land and natural resources. Yet in Indonesia, individuals and communities defending environmental rights may face intimidation, criminalization, violence, and other forms of pressure. This article examines the conditions confronting environmental defenders and analyzes what these patterns reveal about the state of ecological democracy. Drawing on environmental-justice and human-rights perspectives, the study explores how conflicts surrounding extractive activities can escalate when communities challenge powerful economic and political interests. The case of Koto Rambah in Solok Selatan provides an entry point for examining the relationship between environmental conflict, threats against defenders, and access to justice. The article argues that the protection of environmental defenders is not a peripheral human-rights concern but a fundamental requirement for democratic environmental governance. When citizens are discouraged or punished for raising concerns about pollution, land degradation, or resource extraction, public participation in environmental decision-making is weakened. The resulting democratic deficit can facilitate the continuation of environmentally harmful practices without effective social oversight. The article therefore calls for stronger institutional protection, legal safeguards, accountability mechanisms, and recognition of environmental defense as a legitimate democratic activity. Protecting environmental defenders is ultimately inseparable from protecting communities’ rights to participate in decisions affecting their territories and environments.

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References

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Case / Primary Source

Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) Sumatera Barat. 2026. “Kekerasan terhadap Pejuang Lingkungan di Koto Rambah: Bukti Negara Membiarkan dan Membekingi Tambang Emas Ilegal di Solok Selatan.” April 4, 2026.