A journalist from Detaksumut.id (based in Medan, Indonesia) was asked to delete an interview recording. The request to delete the recording came from Edi, an employee responsible for rights determination and land registration at the National Land Agency (BPN) Langkat.
Edi visited the BPN Langkat office on Monday, April 1, 2024, to meet with the Head of BPN and the BPN Langkat Department of Rights Determination and Land Registration.
After completing various licensing procedures with the information and security department of the office, the journalist was invited to wait in the BPN Langkat office canteen. However, at the end of the interview, Edi demanded that the journalist delete the recording and instructed that they were no longer allowed to come to the BPN Langkat office.
“Whether you recorded that earlier or not, you need to ask for permission and delete it,” Edi said angrily after the interview.
Detaksumut.id has been actively reporting on the encroachment of protected forests, which are suspected to be converted into oil palm plantations.