Land Rights Protests Erupt in Indonesia Amid Rising Seizures Under Prabowo Government
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Thousands of farmers, activists, and students took to the streets in Riau province on Thursday, protesting the Indonesian government’s increasing confiscation of land and plantations within the Tesso Nilo National Park. The demonstrations highlight growing concerns over alleged state-sanctioned land grabbing practices, particularly impacting smallholder palm oil producers.
Growing Discontent in Riau Province
The protests centered around the actions of the government’s forestry task force, which has been seizing land within and around the Tesso Nilo National Park. Demonstrators gathered in front of the Riau High Prosecutor’s Office in Pekanbaru, voicing their opposition to the seizures and demanding greater recognition of their land rights.
A coalition of groups, including the Victims of Forest and Land Governance Forum, firmly rejected government proposals for relocation. They are demanding legal recognition for land and plantations that local communities have cultivated for decades. Another protesting group, the Community Coalition for the Dignity of Riau (Kommari), specifically called for the return of seized plantations to their rightful owners.
Allegations of Favoritism and Conflict
According to Datuk Tarlaili, deputy head of Kommari, protesters object to the transfer of seized plantations to PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara, a state-owned palm oil producer, with subsequent management handed over to third parties. “We object to our plantations being given to the PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara, with management later given to other third parties,” he stated during the demonstration.
The protests underscore a history of unresolved land disputes and a perceived lack of government responsiveness to community concerns. “We have suffered many conflicts because the people have fought for land rights, which the government never responded to,” Tarlaili continued. “Some of us have even been silenced and detained.”
The escalating tensions raise questions about the balance between national development goals and the protection of local communities’ livelihoods and land rights in Indonesia. The situation in Tesso Nilo National Park serves as a critical test case for the Prabowo Subianto government’s commitment to equitable land governance.
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