Waiting for a Breakthrough from the Special Committee for Agrarian Conflict Resolution

The agrarian conflict cases have been ongoing for decades in various regions. Without resolution efforts, these conflicts will continue to threaten the living space of the community. Various parties are now awaiting breakthroughs from the Special Committee for Agrarian Conflict Resolution established by the Indonesian House of Representatives.

Throughout the years 2015-2024, the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) recorded agrarian conflicts reaching 3,234 cases, with a disputed land area of 7.4 million hectares. More than 1.8 million citizens have been affected by land conflicts related to farmers, fishermen, and local communities.

In fact, in the first six months of 2025, there were at least 114 agrarian conflicts affecting an area of 266,097 hectares, impacting 96,320 families. This means there is one agrarian case every two days. Behind these numbers, there are indigenous communities threatened with displacement from their land and farmers who are losing their land.

In fact, it is not uncommon for farmers to have to deal with law enforcement. In the Pulongbangkeng area of Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi, for example, agrarian conflicts over sugarcane land involving a state-owned enterprise often lead to clashes between residents and the police.

"In Takalar, in the last month, no less than 20 farmers have been criminalized and two have directly become suspects," said Rizky Anggriani Arimbi, Coordinator of the KPA for the South Sulawesi region, during a press conference titled 'Holding the Special Committee Accountable for the Resolution of Agrarian Conflicts and the National Agrarian Reform Implementation Agency' held online on Sunday (16/11/2025).

Rizky stated that the agrarian conflict in Takalar has been ongoing since the late 1970s, beginning with the takeover of land from residents to be used for sugarcane cultivation. "Until now, the residents are still traumatized by the land seizures. The agrarian conflict has also caused the number of marginal farmers to increase to 13,000 people," he said.

In North Sumatra, according to the Executive Director of the Community Initiative Study and Development Group (KSPPM) Rocky Pasaribu, agrarian conflicts have also led to the criminalization of indigenous communities. "In the past year, 30 indigenous people and farmers have been criminalized, and around 15 have been brought to trial," said Rocky.

For example, Sorbatua Siallagan, the head of the Ompu Umbak Siallagan Indigenous Community, was arrested and brought to court in March 2024. The case related to the occupation and burning of forest areas under a concession owned by PT Toba Pulp Lestari. According to Sorbatua, the land is the community's customary land.

Although Sorbatua was declared free at the appellate level, according to Rocky, the criminalization of indigenous communities continues to occur. Moreover, indigenous communities have not been fully recognized. The Decree on Indigenous Law Communities from the Ministry of Home Affairs has not granted residents full rights over their land.

According to him, there are still several overlapping regulations, such as rules concerning the boundaries of customary areas from other ministries. The bureaucracy from both local and central governments is also lengthy. "We are always being passed back and forth between the district, provincial, and central governments," said Rocky.

According to him, extra efforts are needed to resolve the agrarian conflicts that have been ongoing for several decades. "The Special Committee (Resolution of Agrarian Conflicts) could be a political breakthrough to comprehensively address the root causes of agrarian issues," Rocky stated.

Previously, on October 2, the Indonesian House of Representatives established a Special Committee for the Resolution of Agrarian Conflicts, consisting of 30 members from eight factions in the House. Among them are Siti Hediati Soeharto (Titiek Soeharto) from the Gerindra faction, Viktor Laiskodat (Nasdem faction), and Dede Yusuf (Democrat faction).

The establishment of the special committee is one of the outcomes of the Hearing Meeting (RDP) between the Indonesian House of Representatives and the government along with the KPA during the commemoration of National Farmers' Day 2025, at the end of September. The meeting also agreed to form the National Agrarian Reform Implementing Agency (BP-RAN).

The Coordinator of the KPA Jambi Region, Frandody, hopes that the special committee will soon take action amid the potential increase in land case issues. He cited the presence of the PKH Task Force based on Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 5 of 2025 concerning the Regulation of Forest Areas, which could trigger agrarian conflicts.

"In Jambi, there are approximately 64,000 plots of land that have been marked by the PKH Task Force. These lands are indeed company concessions, but it is also possible that there are lands cultivated by the community," he said. Moreover, he mentioned that there is a discrepancy in the maps between the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency and the Ministry of Forestry.

In Cilacap, Central Java, agrarian conflict threatens agricultural centers. According to the Chairman of the Independent Farmers' Union (STaM) Cilacap, Sugeng Petrus, there are at least 9,000 hectares of rice fields cultivated by farmers, including in Bulupayung and Rawaapu villages in Patimuan District. However, this area is claimed to be part of a forest zone.

"With the delay in resolving this agrarian conflict, our cultivated land is always threatened by flooding. The planting can be affected up to five times due to floods. We cannot build infrastructure, such as agricultural access roads. Farmers also cannot obtain subsidized fertilizers because their land is still a case (agrarian)," Sugeng stated.

The Secretary General of KPA, Dewi Kartika, stated that the protracted agrarian conflicts will be difficult to resolve. "On average, it takes 20 to 25 years to settle one agrarian conflict. If there are thousands of cases, it means the resolution could take tens of thousands of years," she said.

This situation, he said, is inextricably linked to unsynchronized land regulations and the sectoral egos of ministries and agencies. He also believes the government lacks political will to resolve agrarian conflicts, which exacerbate land inequality in the country.

KPA notes that approximately 17.25 million farming families only control and own land averaging below 0.5 hectares. Meanwhile, 28.6 million hectares of land are controlled by 60 families in Indonesia. Therefore, according to him, there is a need for the government to seriously enforce agrarian reform.

One of them is through the Special Committee for the Resolution of Agrarian Conflicts. "It has been more than a month since the special committee was formed. However, we have not heard about its developments. Ideally, after the recess period ended on November 3, the special committee should have been able to take action. Moreover, the agrarian conflicts urgently need to be resolved," he stated.

Kartika urged the special committee to begin its work by processing 865 priority locations for agrarian reform covering an area of 1.7 million hectares, which are managed by 2.4 million people. In these locations, structural agrarian conflicts have been occurring for decades.

So far, ministries and institutions, including existing bodies, have been more of a place for complaints, but not for resolving agrarian cases.

The special committee, it was said, must also oversee the ministries and agencies that handle agrarian reform. So far, there have often been overlaps in regulations and authority among agencies that hinder the realization of agrarian reform. Breakthroughs from the special committee are eagerly awaited in this regard.

"The special committee should not be trapped as a complaint channel. So far, ministries and institutions, including existing agencies, have mostly become places for complaints, but not for resolving agrarian cases," he stated. He also encouraged the formation of special committees at the provincial and district/city levels.

"The special committee must also collaborate with the KPA and civil society organizations to ensure that the direction and working methods of the special committee do not resemble the old ways that ended up as mere complaint venues," he stated. Lastly, the special committee must advocate for the establishment of a BP-RAN that is directly under the president.

"Until now, many implementing agencies of agrarian reform have failed to break the deadlock caused by overlapping regulations and sectoral egos among ministries and agencies, as they are still led at the ministerial level. BP-RAN is the solution to this," he stated.

Previously, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) from the Gerindra Party faction, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, stated that the DPR is encouraging the government to establish the National Land Agency (BP-RAN), accelerate the one-map policy, and streamline spatial planning within the Republic of Indonesia. His party has also established a Special Committee for Agrarian Conflict Resolution (Kompas.id, August 24, 2025).

Dede Yusuf, one of the members of the Agrarian Conflict Resolution Special Committee, stated that the committee has not yet convened as it is still awaiting the appointment of a committee chair. "I have not received further information. Usually, the election of the committee chair takes place first," Yusuf said when contacted via message.

Various parties are now awaiting a swift breakthrough from the Special Committee on Agrarian Conflict Resolution. Moreover, this conflict has been ongoing for decades up to this moment.