Reflection On The Wadas Village Case: There Is An Escalation Of Social Conflicts Related To National Strategic Projects Throughout 2020-2021

JAKARTA - The social conflict in Wadas Village, Bener District, Purworejo Regency, Central Java on Tuesday 8 February 2022 related to the construction of the Bener Dam, is once again a reminder that pros and cons always appear in every National Strategic Project (PSN). Social conflicts related to PSN have even escalated in the last two years.

The Bener Dam Project as a PSN has been established through Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia No. 56 of 2018 concerning the Acceleration of National Strategic Projects. Governor Ganjar Pranowo has also issued a Decree of the Governor of Central Java Number 590/41/2018, which states that Wadas Village in Bener District is the location for andesite stone mining as one of the construction materials for the Bener Dam.

Because it will be exploited as an andesite mine site, it is necessary to acquire land belonging to the village community. The total land acquired was 153.64 hectares, of which 145 hectares were used as mining areas, while 8.64 hectares were used as access to the mine site. The land acquisition will have an impact on 1800 inhabitants of Wadas Village.

In the course of the Bener Dam PSN plan, several residents of Wadas Village through the Wadas Village Nature Care Society Movement (Gempa Dewa) refused to hand over the land as an andesite mining site. One of the reasons is that the mining area has become the lifeline of 500 residents of Wadas Village as land owners.

As quoted from the legal records of the LBH Yogyakarta 2019 citing the calculation of the Earthquake Dewa community, agricultural activities as the main support for the economy there are able to bring in more than IDR 8 billion in income every year for Wadas Village residents. In the note, it is stated that the residents of Wadas Village live quite well.

Social Conflict Related to PSN

The social conflict in Wadas Village related to the PSN Bendungan Bener did not fail to invite comments from Senayan politicians, even those from political parties that joined the coalition government of President Joko Widodo.

"How can there still be resistance from residents so that there is a clash between the police and the residents of Wadas Village? This is clearly a bad fact that is a concern for all of us," Deputy Chairman of Commission III of the DPR, Prince Khairul Saleh, told reporters, Wednesday, February 9.

The prince, who is a politician from the National Mandate Party (PAN), then questioned the role of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) related to the construction process of the Bener Dam. Because, he said, since four years ago the project was launched, there are still residents who are still refusing it.

According to data from the NGO Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA) issued January 6, 2021, throughout 2020 there were 17 social conflicts over agrarian matters related to PSN. In 2021 conflict cases increased to 38.

Secretary General of KPA, Dewi Kartika said that most agrarian conflicts related to PSN were caused by the construction of toll roads with 16 cases, the construction of power plants in 8 cases. Then there are conflicts due to the construction of airports, high-speed rail lines, dams, and tourism facilities.

“The Agrarian Reform Consortium strongly condemns the forced measurement of the land of the residents of Wadas Village, Bener District, Purworejo, Central Java by BPN Purworejo. Moreover, these measurements are accompanied by a tight escort of thousands of officers. In addition, there were acts of intimidation, violence and criminalization against Wadas Village residents and their companions. Of the 67 people arrested, they consisted of artists, legal assistants, friends of solidarity and 60 villagers (among them women, the elderly and 13 minors). The arrests were carried out without clear procedures,” wrote the KPA official statement regarding the social conflict in Wadas Village.

Government Promises More Persuasive

The social conflict in Wadas Village related to the PSN Bendungan Bener temporarily subsided, after the arrested residents were released by the police. But that does not mean the situation will not explode again, if the existing problems are handled incorrectly.

Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko asked all parties to look clearly and unbiasedly regarding the conditions in Wadas Village, Bener District, Purworejo Regency, Central Java.

"Everything needs to be seen clearly so that it is not biased from the actual conditions. Development is definitely to improve people's welfare and that is the final goal. Everything will be evaluated," Moeldoko told reporters in Jakarta, Wednesday, February 9, 2022 as quoted by Antara.

The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam), Mahfud MD, emphasized that the process of measuring the land for andesite mining candidates in Wadas Village would continue.

"Soil surveying activities by officers from the Central Java BPN Regional Office will continue, and will continue with measurable assistance and security through a persuasive and dialogical approach," Mahfud said at a press conference Wednesday, regarding the Indonesian government's next steps after the chaos in Wadas Village.

The Bener Dam PSN, which is worth Rp. 2.06 trillion, is being worked on by several state-owned companies (BUMN), such as PT Waskita Karya (Persero) Tbk, PT Pembangunan Perumahan (Persero) Tbk, and PT Brantas Abipraya (Persero) Tbk.

It is hoped that the social conflict in Wadas Village related to the construction of the dam can be completely resolved. A more persuasive social approach, such as the promise of Mahfud MD, must also really be implemented so that conflicts related to PSN do not always recur, or at least do not multiply.