Could Leonardo DiCaprio be BANNED from Indonesia?!

Leonardo DiCaprio may possibly be banned from returning to Indonesia in the future after an immigration official said on Saturday his criticisms that palm oil plantations are destroying the country’s rainforests, endangering the wildlife in the process, caused anger.

The actor made a one-day visit to protected Mount Leuser National Park in Northern Sumatra and uploaded photographs on his Instagram account, talking about his concerns over species whose habitats and lives are threatened:

View this post on Instagram

As the forest of the #Indonesian #LeuserEcosystem continues to be cleared to meet demand for Palm Oil, the critically endangered Sumatran #orangutan is being pushed to the brink of extinction. Here, at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme’s Orangutan Quarantine Center, rescued orangutans are rehabilitated so they can be released back into the wild. If we don't stop this rampant destruction, the Leuser Ecosystem and the Sumatran orangutans that call it home could be lost forever. Click the link in the bio to support this important work. #Indonesia

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Mar 31, 2016 at 6:52am PDT

Heru Santoso, the spokesman for the Directorate General for Immigration at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, was not happy that the Oscar winner used his visit to shame the palm oil industry and the Indonesian government.

“We support his concern to save the Leuser ecosystem,” Santoso said. “But we can blacklist him from returning to Indonesia at any time if he keeps posting incitement or provocative statements in his social media.”

Slash-and-burn practices destroy huge areas of forestation in Indonesia every single year during the dry season, creating haze that pollutes neighbouring countries as well as causing massive economic losses and increasing Indonesia’s carbon dioxide emissions. The fires are often caused to clear the land for agriculture, including palm oil plantations.

Although none have done so yet, Santoso has said that organisations and companies that have objected to DiCaprio’s comments can request that the immigration authorities ban him from re-entering Indonesia.

He went on to say that DiCaprio entered and left Indonesia legally with an official visa and full immigration documentation. The actor, along with his entourage, arrived on a private jet at Kualanamu Airport on the island of Sumatra on the 26th of March and the group took a helicopter to the protected park and left a day later.

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A world-class biodiversity hotspot, the #Indonesian Leuser Ecosystem is one of the most important areas of intact #rainforest left in Southeast Asia. Its forests are home to the densest remaining populations of the critically endangered Sumatran #orangutan. But Palm Oil expansion is destroying this unique place. Now is the time to save the Leuser Ecosystem. We must develop a permanent solution to protect and restore this valuable natural asset. Click the link in the bio to stand up and #SaveLeuserEcosystem. #Indonesia

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Mar 29, 2016 at 9:21am PDT

Leo isn’t the only celebrity to have criticised and angered Indonesia’s government about their treatment of the environment.

Harrison Ford, another famous actor known for his roles in Indiana Jones and Star Wars, has visited several national parks in his time and caused a stir by interviewing activist, businesspeople and the government.

Do you think DiCaprio should be banned from Indonesia for his comments? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @CelebMix!