A Total Of 14 PTPNs Are Called The Biggest Contributors To Agrarian Conflicts In Indonesia, KPA: This Figure Is Very Concerned

Secretary of the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) Dewi Sartika (center). Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI

JAKARTA - Secretary of the Consortium for Agrarian Reform, Dewi Sartika, noted that eight of the 14 PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) had caused 21 agrarian conflicts in various regions. The eruption of agrarian conflicts in the PTPN area even continued to increase during the second period of the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration.

"This figure is very concerning, considering that only 14 PTPN companies in our country, contributed to a large and wide agrarian conflicts," Dewi said in a late 2022 note with the theme 'Agrarian Conflict Bara: Unconnected PTPN, Increasing Criminalization' in the Kemang area, South Jakarta, Monday, January 9.

Dewi also said that the resolution of agrarian conflicts in the PTPN area had minimal breakthroughs. In fact, a number of related institutions, such as Komnas HAM, the Ombudsman, and the KPK issued bad records to PTPN related to handling conflicts, human rights, administration, to transparency and handling corruption.

"The agrarian conflict that occurred throughout this year shows a number of repressive operations of state plantation companies in dealing with conflicts, causing casualties in the field," he said.

Of the 21 eruptions of agrarian conflicts caused by the PTPN operation in 2022, Dewi said as many as 15 people had become victims of persecution and 28 people had been criminalized.

"Even one person died due to an agrarian conflict with PTPN," he said.

Dewi assessed that the cause of the large number of agrarian conflicts continued to occur because the PTPN plantation itself seemed above the law over a number of these events.

"The main pretext that is often used by plantations in carrying out these repressive actions is the Rescue of State Assets," he added.