InfoSAWIT, PASER — Tensions are once again looming over the lives of villagers near palm oil plantations in Paser Regency, East Kalimantan. This time, an agrarian conflict has led to the designation of two individuals as suspects, following a report from PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) IV Regional V, previously known as PTPN XIII.
Four affected villages—Lombok, Pait, Sawit Jaya, and Pasir Mayang—are now engulfed in an atmosphere of anxiety. Security patrols, witness summons, and the psychological pressure felt by residents have added to the long list of criminalization practices in land conflicts within the palm oil sector.
Bony, a representative from the palm oil monitoring organization Sawit Watch, expressed his concern. “It is unfortunate that intimidation and criminalization processes continue to occur in palm oil plantations. The presence of police around residents' homes exerts tremendous pressure. This has the potential to weaken the struggle of residents who have been fighting for their land rights,” he stated in a comment to InfoSAWIT on Friday (June 13, 2025).
According to Bony, the individuals now designated as suspects were actually fighting for land they have historically managed, which is allegedly controlled by a state-owned company without a legitimate land acquisition process.
“There should be a greater emphasis on dialogue rather than legal reporting that leads to criminalization. From the outset, the presence of the company has not been accompanied by the resolution of residents' basic rights,” he added.
Bony noted that this situation is not an isolated case. It reflects a longstanding pattern in agrarian conflicts in Indonesia, where residents often become victims of a legal system that tends to favor capital interests.
This sentiment was echoed by Achmad Surambo, Director of Sawit Watch. He mentioned that in 2024 alone, his organization recorded 1,126 communities involved in conflicts with large-scale palm oil companies in Indonesia.
“Communities are in the most vulnerable position. They lose land due to non-transparent processes, lose livelihoods, and when conflicts erupt, they also bear moral and material burdens. This is a bitter reality that must be addressed fairly and equitably,” he emphasized.
Surambo stressed the importance of conflict resolution pathways that prioritize restorative justice and active community participation. He also urged the government to focus more on strengthening the legal capacity of communities and providing ongoing support, so that residents have a stronger bargaining position in conflicts.
“We must move towards a dignified resolution. Conflicts like the one in Paser should not be allowed to become a recurring pattern. The state must not be present to reinforce corporate dominance but to ensure justice for the people,” he asserted.
The case emerging in Paser illustrates that agrarian conflicts in the palm oil sector are far from resolved. As long as the root issues, such as the neglect of land rights and disparities in access to justice, remain unaddressed, tensions on the ground will continue to recur—and marginalized communities will remain on the losing side. (T2)
