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Save the forest of Beutong Ateuh – stop mining from destroying our Indigenous land

Co-sign before May 31, 2026

To: the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia, the Governor of Aceh, the Regent of Nagan Raya, and the Aceh Provincial Parliament and Nagan Raya Regency Parliament

Deeply concerned for Aceh’s forests, the Leuser Ecosystem, and the Ulu Masen Ecosystem, for the future of coming generations on this Earth, and in solidarity with the people of Beutong Ateuh, we call on:

The governments of Aceh Province and Nagan Raya District:

  • Reject all permits for gold mining in Beutong Ateuh.

  • Stop all forms of exploration and mining that threaten the forest and the people’s way of life.

  • Declare Beutong Ateuh a protected area, jointly guarded by Indigenous peoples and the Pawang Uteun community.

The government of the Republic of Indonesia:

  • Recognize and protect Indigenous peoples’ right to their communal land.

  • End policies that open the door to deforestation in the buffer zones of the Leuser Ecosystem and the Ulu Masen Ecosystem.

  • Ensure the protection of Aceh’s forests as an essential part of global climate protection and biodiversity conservation.

The public:

  • Express your opposition to gold mining in Beutong Ateuh.

  • Share this open letter.

  • Stand with the people of Beutong in defending their forests.

The Indigenous peoples of Beutong say:

“When people protect the forest, the forest protects the people. When people destroy the forest, there are consequences for humankind.”

Do not wait until it is too late.

Do not wait until nothing is left of Beutong but its name.

Save Beutong Ateuh.

Save Aceh’s forest.

Save the future of coming generations.

Sincerely,

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Letter from the Indigenous peoples of Beutong Ateuh, the NGO Apel Green Aceh, and the Pawang Uteun community (Pawang Uteun are traditional figures among the Indigenous peoples of Aceh who safeguard the forest under Indigenous law, in the sense of guardians or masters of the forest)

“This is Beutong, the land we inherited from our ancestors.”

In the interior of Aceh, far from the noise of the cities and the interests of industry, lies a place where people still live in rhythm with nature: Beutong Ateuh.

Here, the forest is not a green backdrop viewed from a distance. The forest is the source of life. The forest is home. The forest is the future.

Beutong Ateuh links Aceh’s two most important ecological regions – the Leuser Ecosystem and the Ulu Masen Ecosystem. This area serves as an ecological buffer, maintaining the balance of water, climate, soil, and thousands of living beings.

In these forests, people have long lived in harmony with nature.

They protect the rivers, care for the soil, harvest only as many forest products as they need, and pass their traditional values on to the next generation.

The livelihoods of the people of Beutong do not depend on destroying the forest. They depend on the forest still standing.

“In the forest we harvest candlenuts, coffee, cocoa, areca nuts, rattan, and medicinal plants. We live from the forest. That is why we protect it.”

But today, this peaceful place is in serious danger.

Plans for gold mining are once again looming over Beutong Ateuh.

If mines are approved, thousands of hectares of forest could be stripped bare. Rivers will be polluted. Wildlife will lose its habitat. Indigenous land will be fragmented. And people will lose the land they have protected for many generations.

We do not want Beutong to be destroyed, scarred by mining pits, floods, landslides, and social conflict.

The people of Beutong have already experienced firsthand the disasters that come with destroyed forests.

In late 2025, flash floods and landslides tore through Beutong Ateuh. They destroyed homes. The river burst its banks. There was no drinking water. Everyday life was brought to a standstill.

For the people of Beutong, this was not a natural disaster. It was a warning.

The lost forests can no longer absorb water. The damaged soil can no longer sustain life. “The heat has become unbearable. The river level has dropped sharply. Drinking water has become a problem. We are afraid that if mining comes here, there will be even worse disasters.” Beutong is not the only place facing threats like these.

In many parts of the world, Indigenous peoples’ forests are being destroyed in the name of development, investment, mining, emissions trading, and large-scale industrial projects. Many Indigenous communities are losing their land for the profit of a small group of actors.

Now Beutong Ateuh faces a similar threat. We are convinced that destroying Beutong means destroying Aceh’s future. The forest in Beutong is not just a stand of trees.

The forest secures water for the fields. It is habitat for protected wildlife. It stabilizes the climate. It protects Beutong from floods and landslides. It is home to women, children, farmers, and future generations.

“In truth, we hold this land in trust for our children and grandchildren. We want to pass it on intact, not logged and destroyed.”

The people of Beutong have always protected the forest through traditional systems such as “Pawang Uteun” – with values and practices that see people as part of nature, not its rulers. In the middle of the global climate crisis, Indigenous communities such as the one in Beutong are the last line of defense for the forests that remain. Yet their struggle is often blocked by investors’ interests and the exploitation of natural resources. That is why we are calling for the broadest possible solidarity.

We call on the people of Aceh, the people of Indonesia, the international community, environmental organizations, scientists, students, journalists, religious leaders, and all those who care about ecological justice to stand in solidarity with the people of Beutong Ateuh.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If the forest is destroyed, it is not only trees that disappear.

Water disappears.

Clean air disappears.

Wildlife disappears.

Landslides strike.

Floods surge in.

And in the end, the future disappears.

Co-signed by
  • Aceh Waste Platform, Indonesia
  • Aceh Wetland Forum, Indonesia
  • Agriculture Independet Research, Indonesia
  • AHAN Barsela, Indonesia
  • Aksi Konservasi Bersama Rakyat (AKSARA), Indonesia
  • Apel Green Aceh, Indonesia
  • Coal Action Network UK, United Kingdom
  • ecodevelop - Aktion für ökologische Entwicklung, Germany
  • FLIGHT: Protecting Indonesia’s Birds, Indonesia
  • Forum Ökologie & Papier, Germany
  • GREEN BOOTS, Switzerland
  • Greenpeace Indonesia, Indonesia
  • IFM Fund, Indonesia
  • Inisiasi Masyarakat Adat (IMA), Indonesia
  • IWGFF, Indonesia
  • Jaringan Pemantau Independen Kehutanan (JPIK), Indonesia
  • Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, Philippines
  • Komunitas Cisadane, Indonesia
  • Korjuang, Indonesia
  • Lembaga Tiga Beradik, Indonesia
  • Les Roches, Switzerland
  • LinkAR Borneo, Indonesia
  • LTB, Indonesia
  • Masyarakat Beutong Ateuh, Indonesia
  • Melanie Wilken, Germany
  • PAFE-UNIB, Indonesia
  • Palasostik, Indonesia
  • Pawang Uten, Indonesia
  • PEMA FISIP UTU, Indonesia
  • Pena masyarakat, Indonesia
  • Perkumpulan Hijau, Indonesia
  • Pro REGENWALD, Germany
  • Rebecca Solfrian, Dipl.-Ing. Raumplanung, Germany
  • Regenwald Institut e.V., Germany
  • Rettet den Regenwald, Germany
  • Rettet den Regenwald - Schweiz, Switzerland
  • Save Our Borneo, Indonesia
  • Selamatkan Hutan Hujan, Indonesia
  • Semaran bersatu, Indonesia
  • SIEJ Simpul Aceh, Indonesia
  • Suara Laut Nusantara (Salantara), Indonesia
  • sustainHER, Indonesia
  • Tasha Research Institute Africa (TASHA), Uganda
  • The Coalition Against Mining in Aceh, Indonesia
  • The Gaia Foundation, United Kingdom
  • Trend Asia, Indonesia
  • Verein der Freunde des Stadtwaldes Lübeck, Germany
  • Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI), Indonesia
  • WALHI Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
  • Yayasan Insan Hutan Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Yayasan Srikandi Lestari, Indonesia
  • Yes to Life, No to Mining global solidarity network, Philippines
  • YLNM, Brazil
  • Yvonne Orengo, United Kingdom

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