Indonesia, the vast archipelago stretching along the equator, has over 17,000 islands. Its immense maritime territory spans more than 6 million square kilometers, making it one of the world's largest archipelagic states.
The thing is, many of its islands are not occupied.
And for once again, someone claimed that some of the islands in the equator paradise are for sale.
Among the Indonesian islands include ; Seliu Island in Bangka Belitung, a pair of islands in the Anambas Islands, Panjang Island in West Nusa Tenggara; Sumba Island in East Nusa Tenggara, and a surf beach property in it.
A Canadian-based website has been advertising Indonesian islands for private sale, and the government upon realizing this, quickly condemns it.
The Indonesian government has forcefully denounced the sale, labelling the practice both illegal and misleading.
Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid stated on Sunday that Indonesian law prohibits private ownership or sale of entire islands.
Under Indonesian law, full ownership of an island is forbidden. Even private landholders on an island must leave at least 45% of it as public space. No single individual or corporation can hold title to an entire island, whether through land certificates or building permits.
In other words, under the Indonesian law, islands are either classified as public or conservation land, and full private ownership is legally impossible. Even if private-resort plots exist on islands, these are held as corporate land, not full island titles.
“No island in Indonesia can be privately owned, let alone sold on a foreign website. That is impossible, and whoever’s behind this is acting irresponsibly,” he emphasized while speaking at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
And particularly, Panjang Island in West Nusa Tenggara, is a protected conservation area. Its completely designated as a conservation forest, making any private sale not only legally invalid, but land-wise impossible, which means any form of private development or sale is prohibited.
"So, how can anyone claim to sell it? There’s no legal basis whatsoever. We will investigate this further," he warned.
Before this, similar incidents happened. Islands like Ajab Island in the Riau Islands Province, approximately 30 hectares, advertised with a claimed freehold title for $3.3 million, and Tojo Una-Una Island in Central Sulawesi, spanning over 1,200 hectares, offered on a leasehold basis with the price available upon request.
Others include Gili Tangkong in West Lombok, Ayam Island in the Riau Islands, Kembung Island, Yudan Island, and some others were also on sale on the internet.
Private Islands Inc., operating under the monikers Private Islands Inc. and Private Islands Online (PIO), is an Ontario‑based listing service claims to be the “foremost global marketplace for private island sales and rentals,” drawing some 4 million visitors annually and maintaining around 70,000 subscribers.
While it acts as a broker, a fine print on its website, PIO includes a disclaimer, that all listings are provided by third‑party sellers or brokers, and the platform offers no guarantees about their accuracy.
It's also worth noting that PIO is not a licensed real estate agent, placing full responsibility on the advertisers.
This incident underscores the risks of global “digital land” listings cropping up on platforms targeting international buyers.
And Indonesia with its thousands of islands, is tightly controlled.
Bad-faith advertisements could not only violate national laws but also mislead foreign investors and pose ecological risks to protected areas.
