Beware: the anti-science belief is strong within Jokowi's administration

This week, Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry has become the subject of criticism for issuing a letter banning a number of foreign scientists after they published an op-ed questioning the government's claim that the population of orangutans has been growing.

The claim has been used to justify the government's decision to adopt a multi-stakeholder approach in managing orangutan population while engaging with the palm oil sector.

In what he called a "polite critique" published in The Jakarta Post, Dutch biologist Erik Meijaard argued that that the government's claim contradicted scientific studies. 

After that, a letter signed by Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has called for all National Parks and Natural Resources Conservation Agencies under the ministry to deny services to, as well as monitor and report the activities of Erik and his team.

This move is not the first of its kind. In 2020, the government banned French scientist, David Gaveau for publishing a report showing that the number of forest fires in Indonesia is larger than the government's version.

We have also heard how Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his administration have repeatedly undermined the voices of scientists in policymaking during the pandemic. 

What can we do to change this? 

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