Local Community vs Oil Palm Plantation Company: Two case studies from West Kalimatan, Indonesia

Local Community vs Oil Palm Plantation Company: Two case studies from West Kalimatan, Indonesia
Yayan Indriatmoko
1 July 2010 – Siem Reap

Field study as part of RECOFTC’s Regional Analysis of Forestry Conflict in the context of Devolution in Asia.

Policy context
In mid 2005, plan to establish the world’s largest oil palm plantation along the border with Malaysia in Borneo, 1,8 million hectares.
In West Kalimantan, the provincial target is 1.5 million ha, but permits given by Head of districts have reached 2 million ha
Up to 2006, 152 OP plantation in West Kalimantan has been developed
In 2007, the Kapuas Hulu District Govt gave permits to 21 oil palm companies, in total 254,500 hectares

Beside the positive impact such as increasing national revenue, overcoming unemployment and improving local economy, the opening of oil palm plantations are also seen as one of the contributors to the massive forest degradation in Indonesia.
Another negative impact is that the development of large oil plantation often creates conflict on the ground.
In January 2008, 513 conflicts between communities and companies were recorded by Sawit Watch (Marti 2008).

Conflict in OP plantation
Source: Losing Ground, Serge Marti, 2008. FoE EWNI, Life Mosaic and SawitWatch

Objective of the research
Understanding the root causes of conflict,
How it developed,
Approaches used during the conflict
Impact of the conflict

Field work : August - October 2009
Two cases in Kapuas Hulu District, West kalimantan
Janting (DayakIban)
Suhaid (Malay)
During the field work, the conflict was ongoing. …up to now

Case study site

Whoinvolved in Janting case
The local community
DayakIban in 3 settlements (350 people)
Mix shifting cultivator and jungle rubber
practicing customary based NRM including in conflict resolution
The company (PT. Buana Tunas Sejahtera/ SinarMas group)
Permit (2007 and 2008) with 139.000 ha, 12.000 Ha in Badau sub-district (including Janting’s territory)
Benefit sharing mechanism of 8 : 2, compensation 15 USD per ha
The Local Government of Kapuas Hulu

Suhaid case
The community
Malay people in 5 villages (Nanga Suhaid, Tanjung, Madangpermai, Tawang) ,
Live along the Kapuas River (adjacent to the DNSP)
high dependency on NRM
Fishing (wild/hunting and /fish pond/fish cage)
Shifting cultivation
Rubber

The company
PT. Kartika Prima Citra / SinarMas group
18.000 ha in this Suhaid area
start from 2007
The local government (same with Janting case)
NGOs

Conflict development

Janting Case

Suhaid case

Root causes of the conflict

Root causes of conflict
Overlapping land rights status
Local community is less or not fully involved in oil palm plantations planning.
Conflict resolution mechanism based on customary is not appreciated
Lack of support for the weak (community)
Company working mechanism

Approaches
Bring the issue to the local government
Sending letter to ‘high level person’
Confiscation
Mass demonstration physical clash
Negotiation
Using customary mechanism
Alliance/coalition
Police and military - intimidation

Impact
Mental
Social
Envi (positive and negative)
Cost
Financial,
time, energy
Government’s program

Capacity
Knowledge & Awareness
Networking
Impact

Conclusion and Lesson learnt
National policy, overlapping tenurial right underlying factor of conflict
Customary based conflict management / resolution is not enough when powerful outsider involved
Local community remain the weak in the conflict (cost, network and power)

Policy implication
Clarify the status of land is essential.
Need to improve mechanisms of large-scale OP plantation development, especially in dealing with local communities affected by
Develop approaches in which the customary based conflict resolution involved
Mediation process
Balancing the power – HOW?

Questions to be discussed
Research ContributionHow to encourage research-based decision making process to mitigate / manage conflict?
How can research contribute to leveling the playing field?
How can collective action work when different interests are exist?
Collective action for sustainable use / conservation or destroy the forest ?

Local Community vs Oil Palm Plantation Company: Two case studies from West Kalimatan, Indonesia

by CAPRi on Aug 04, 2010

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Local Community vs Oil Palm Plantation Company: Two case studies from West Kalimatan, Indonesia — Presentation Transcript