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Illegal Nickel Mining in Protected Forests: Challenges in Whistleblower and Justice Collaborator Protection in Indonesia

Indonesian Journal of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development · Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025) · hlm. 341–374

DOI
10.15294/ijel.v4i2.38220
ISSN
2829-9590, 2829-9582
Terbit
2025-12-30
Penerbit
Universitas Negeri Semarang
Bahasa
eng
Lisensi
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Abstrak

The systematic destruction of Indonesia’s Protected Forests—particularly in Southeast and Central Sulawesi—driven by illegal nickel mining operations poses an acute challenge to environmental rule of law. Utilizing data from recent cases (2023–2025) involving large-scale violations, such as those reported in the Mandiodo Block, this article critically assesses the effectiveness of existing legal mechanisms in protecting and utilizing key informants: the Corporate Whistleblower (WB) and the Justice Collaborator (JC). The analysis finds a significant gap between the legal mandate for protection and its implementation. Although Law No. 32/2009 (PPLH Law) guarantees identity confidentiality (Article 112), its utility is undermined by evidence of frequent retaliation against WBs—including job termination and counter-criminalization—by powerful corporate entities implicated in illegal nickel activities. Furthermore, the application of Law No. 31/2014 (LPSK Law) to grant JC status is often hindered by the reluctance of the judiciary to offer substantial sentencing concessions for environmental crimes, unlike in corruption cases. This reluctance limits the incentive for internal perpetrators to expose the Beneficial Owners who orchestrate the destruction of protected forest areas (e.g., the reported illegal clearing of hundreds of hectares for nickel ore extraction). This study concludes that the failure to establish robust, integrated legal immunity and sufficient sentencing differentiation for WBs and JCs transforms these protective instruments from effective crime-fighting tools into mere theoretical provisions. To successfully dismantle the complex, high-value chain of illegal nickel mining, the article recommends establishing a Specialized Penal Policy that standardizes the granting of JC status in environmental crimes, ensuring maximum physical and professional protection by the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), and mandating its consideration for reduced sentencing to effectively breach the corporate veil.

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  • State University of Semarang
  • Diponegoro University
  • National University of Malaysia
  • Sriwijaya University
  • IAIN Kudus
  • Dhofar University
  • Seoul National University
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Rekan penulisOrganisasiArtikel bersama
Ridwan ArifinState University of Semarang9
Ali MasyharState University of Semarang8
Ubaidillah KamalState University of Semarang7
Ratih DamayantiState University of Semarang7
Wildan Azkal FikriSriwijaya University6
Dede IndraswaraState University of Semarang4
Anis WidyawatiState University of Semarang4
Irma CahyaningtyasDiponegoro University4
Salman AlfarisiState University of Semarang4
Rodiyah RodiyahState University of Semarang3
Asyaffa Ridzqi AmandhaState University of Semarang2
Souad Ahmed EzzeroualiDhofar University2
Dina Wahyu PritaningtiasState University of Semarang2
Anindhita Sekaring BarendriyasState University of Semarang2
Amira Rahma SabelaState University of Semarang2
Bayangsari WedhatamiState University of Semarang2
Aprila NiravitaState University of Semarang2
Syukron SalamState University of Semarang2
Batari LaskarwatiState University of Semarang2
Iqbal SyariefudinState University of Semarang2
Rodiyah RodiyahState University of Semarang2
Putri Balqis Nuril HakimState University of Semarang2
Ahmad Gelora MahardikaSeoul National University2
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad SabriAfiliasi tidak diketahui2
Firsta Rahadatul ‘AisyThe University of Melbourne2
Rohadhatul AisyState University of Semarang2
Yustina Dhian NovitaState University of Semarang2
Siti Malaiha DewiIAIN Kudus2
Cahya WulandariState University of Semarang2
Pujiyono PujiyonoDiponegoro University2
Muhamad Helmi Md SaidNational University of Malaysia1
Martitah MartitahState University of Semarang1
Kun Retno HandayaniState University of Semarang1
Yuli Prasetyo AdhiDiponegoro University1
Rahmawati Mohd YusoffUniversiti Teknologi MARA1

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Sumber metadata: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/ijel/oai, pertama di-harvest 5 Nov 2026, terakhir terlihat 8 Nov 2026.
Metadata asli (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">Illegal Nickel Mining in Protected Forests: Challenges in Whistleblower and Justice Collaborator Protection in Indonesia</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Utari, Indah Sri</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Maskur, Muhammad Azil</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Sumardiana, Benny </dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Ramada, Diandra Preludio</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Alias, Nizamuddin</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Illegal Nickel Mining</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Protected Forest</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Corporate Whistleblower</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Justice Collaborator</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Environmental Crime</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">The systematic destruction of Indonesia’s Protected Forests—particularly in Southeast and Central Sulawesi—driven by illegal nickel mining operations poses an acute challenge to environmental rule of law. Utilizing data from recent cases (2023–2025) involving large-scale violations, such as those reported in the Mandiodo Block, this article critically assesses the effectiveness of existing legal mechanisms in protecting and utilizing key informants: the Corporate Whistleblower (WB) and the Justice Collaborator (JC). The analysis finds a significant gap between the legal mandate for protection and its implementation. Although Law No. 32/2009 (PPLH Law) guarantees identity confidentiality (Article 112), its utility is undermined by evidence of frequent retaliation against WBs—including job termination and counter-criminalization—by powerful corporate entities implicated in illegal nickel activities. Furthermore, the application of Law No. 31/2014 (LPSK Law) to grant JC status is often hindered by the reluctance of the judiciary to offer substantial sentencing concessions for environmental crimes, unlike in corruption cases. This reluctance limits the incentive for internal perpetrators to expose the Beneficial Owners who orchestrate the destruction of protected forest areas (e.g., the reported illegal clearing of hundreds of hectares for nickel ore extraction). This study concludes that the failure to establish robust, integrated legal immunity and sufficient sentencing differentiation for WBs and JCs transforms these protective instruments from effective crime-fighting tools into mere theoretical provisions. To successfully dismantle the complex, high-value chain of illegal nickel mining, the article recommends establishing a Specialized Penal Policy that standardizes the granting of JC status in environmental crimes, ensuring maximum physical and professional protection by the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), and mandating its consideration for reduced sentencing to effectively breach the corporate veil.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Universitas Negeri Semarang</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2025-12-30</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/ijel/article/view/38220</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.15294/ijel.v4i2.38220</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">Indonesian Journal of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development; Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): July-December, 2025; 341-374</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2829-9590</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2829-9582</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.15294/ijel.v4i2</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/ijel/article/view/38220/7835</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2025 Indah Sri Utari, Muhammad Azil Maskur, Benny  Sumardiana, Diandra Preludio Ramada, Nizamuddin Alias (Author)</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>