December 8, 2025 | 07:24 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Minister of Forestry Zulkifli Hasan, also known as Zulhas, claims that the government has never issued permits for land clearance in Tesso Nilo National Park, Riau. This statement follows the viral video excerpt of an interview between Zulhas and Hollywood actor Harrison Ford in 2013. In the video, Harrison asked Zulhas about the deforestation in Tesso Nilo.
The interview video went viral after flash floods and landslides hit Sumatra in late November 2025. The public linked the disaster to Zulhas' policies during his tenure as Minister of Forestry.
Zulhas mentioned that the flood and landslide disaster occurred in three provinces: Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. However, Tesso Nilo, located in Riau Province, was not affected, according to him. "But the disasters in Thailand and Malaysia are Zulkifli Hasan's fault. It's okay, I forgive myself," said Zulhas at the Bisnis Indonesia Group Conference 2025 at Hotel Raffles, Jakarta, on Monday, December 8, 2025.
The Coordinating Minister for Food also stated that Tesso Nilo is designated as a national park and, as such, no permission should be granted. Zulhas claimed that no forestry minister would dare to grant permission for land clearance in the Tesso Nilo area.
Tesso Nilo National Park, Riau. Tempo/Riyan Nofitra
According to Zulhas, if a minister issues permission for land clearance in Tesso Nilo, they would face criminal penalties. "Not only me, but no forestry minister would also dare to grant permission for Tesso Nilo. If permission is granted in Tesso Nilo, then they go to jail immediately because of criminal charges," he said.
The Chair of the National Mandate Party (PAN) also clarified the issuance of permits for the release of 1.6 million hectares of forest area. He claimed that the release was done to provide legal certainty for spatial planning. The land is used for residential purposes and the expansion of districts/cities. He claimed he had not granted new permits for companies to clear the forest.
An excerpt of the interview video of Zulhas with Harrison Ford is from the documentary Years of Living Dangerously. Zulhas, who was the Minister of Forestry in the United Indonesia Cabinet II under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, participated in the making of the film in the Tesso Nilo forest, Riau, in September 2013.
In the video, Ford asked Zulhas about the extensive deforestation in Indonesia. Ford became emotional while recounting his and the crew's experience visiting Tesso Nilo in Riau. Hearing Ford's explanation, Zulkifli Hasan laughed, which made Ford emotional. "This is not funny," Ford said.
Zulhas then explained that he was also initially shocked to see the damage in the Tesso Nilo area. However, he claimed that his team worked hard every day to solve the problem. "We are facing a demographic surplus. We are working on relocating them by finding replacement land," said Zulhas.
Read: Jatam Mapping Reveals Prabowo-Affiliated Company Linked to Aceh Flood Risks
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