(Washington, D.C., February 18, 2026) — U.S. business groups should raise concerns about human rights, environmental protection, and climate change when they meet Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during his visit this week to Washington, D.C., Climate Rights International said in a letter sent on February 17 to the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S.-Indonesia Society.

President Prabowo is in Washington to attend a meeting of the “Board of Peace” and reportedly may finalize a trade agreement between the U.S. and Indonesia. Business groups meeting with Prabowo should highlight key human rights and climate concerns related to Indonesia’s nickel industry, plans for mass deforestation, and reported proposed legislation that would limit freedom of expression and funding of civil society.

“Business groups hosting President Prabowo, including the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S.-Indonesia Society should make it clear that mass deforestation, mistreatment of local communities by the nickel industry, and severe environmental damage are central concerns for U.S. businesses considering investing in Indonesia,” said Brad Adams, Executive Director at Climate Rights International. “Businesses seeking investments in Indonesia should be outspoken in their support of human rights, environmental protection, and climate action, or they may become complicit in serious abuses.”

The letter to the organizations describe how Indonesia’s nickel industry threatens the rights of local communities, harms the environment, and contributes to the climate crisis.  Three reports by Climate Rights International over the past two years document severe air and water pollution; health problems connected to mining and mineral processing; the destruction of fishing and farming livelihoods; a lack of access to public health information; land grabbing and forced relocations; unfair compensation for the taking of land; dangerous working conditions; threats to Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life; intimidation of environmental defenders by security forces; fear of retaliation for speaking out; and significant captive coal use, resulting in large-scale emissions.

Since taking office in 2025, President Prabowo has announced a number of initiatives that would reverse progress since the fall from power in 1998 of the country’s longstanding authoritarian ruler and his late father-in-law, President Suharto. As part of an ostensible national food security plan, Prabowo has embarked on a program of massive deforestation and land clearing linked with serious human rights abuses and increased militarization. The government has announced plans to convert 2.3 million hectares of protected forests into food and energy estate projects, which would be the largest deforestation project in Indonesia’s history. These projects may also result in the forced relocation of communities, threats to Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and the loss of traditional livelihoods. Indonesia is home to the third largest tropical rainforest in the world, and the resulting deforestation from these projects would be disastrous for global emissions.

Local communities and civil society in Indonesia have loudly protested these projects and plans, in some cases leading to arrests and police violence. In January 2026, the Ministry of Law released an academic manuscript justifying the development of a Bill on Combatting Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda. While there is no currently available public draft of the proposed legislation, leading Indonesian human rights organizations say they are deeply concerned that if adopted this legislation could be used to criminalize members of local communities, journalists, activists, and civil society groups who are critical of the Indonesian government and its policies and practices.

“U.S. businesses should be wary about investing in sectors that are linked with serious human rights abuses, large-scale deforestation, and crackdowns on freedom of speech,” said Adams. “As in the U.S., the right to speak freely about government policies is fundamental and must be supported without hesitation.”