InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - Three civil society organizations, Transformasi untuk Keadilan (TuK INDONESIA), the Association of Indigenous Peoples' Defenders of the Archipelago (PPMAN), and WALHI Central Kalimantan, have unveiled the dark side of an agrarian conflict in Bangkal Seruyan, Central Kalimantan. Through a report titled "Behind the Bangkal Seruyan Bloody Tragedy: In Our Land, ‘Palm Oil is More Precious Than Human Lives’," the organizations highlight the negative impact of palm oil industry expansion, which has sparked conflicts and human rights violations. The report was submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) on October 30, 2024.
As noted in a press statement received by InfoSAWIT on November 4, 2024, the report presents several major findings. First, it documents human rights abuses against Indigenous communities who have lost their land rights and suffered from environmental destruction. The conflict between residents of Bangkal village and the plantation company PT Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada (HMBP) has intensified, leading to violent incidents, including the shooting of local residents protesting for their rights. Additionally, PT HMBP is accused of failing to deliver the promised plasma land rights to local communities.
Investigations also uncovered suspicions of a “security business” arrangement involving local police, allegedly aimed at securing the company’s interests, which resulted in violent action against residents. PT HMBP is further suspected of illegal activities, including land clearing without proper permits in forested areas. According to an official decree by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (SK No. SK.196/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/3/2023), the company is operating on 4,769.52 hectares of protected land, including areas designated as Production and Conversion Production Forests. Company operations have also reportedly encroached on Lake Sembuluh and riverbanks, polluting water resources and directly impacting local fishers and communities.
“We urge the government to immediately evaluate PT HMBP’s operational license and take firm action against companies violating the law. Environmental damage like this must be stopped to ensure justice and sustainability in Central Kalimantan,” stated Bayu Herinata, Director of WALHI Central Kalimantan.
The report reveals evidence of a security agreement involving police forces in Central Kalimantan. An investigation uncovered a 2020 directive from the Central Kalimantan Police detailing security protocols for PT HMBP's operations, including payments made by the company to deploy 440 officers to confront residents fighting for their land rights, suggesting possible collusion that disregards human rights.
“This tragedy shows that business interests have taken priority over human lives. Such actions are unacceptable, as they undermine the rights of Indigenous communities that should be protected by the state,” asserted Surti Handayani, a PPMAN representative.
Research by TuK INDONESIA also indicates that palm oil expansion in Central Kalimantan is backed by financial institutions, including the state-owned Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI). According to Linda Rosalina, Director of TuK INDONESIA, palm oil tycoons operating in Central Kalimantan received financing amounting to $11.07 billion (about IDR 157.8 trillion) from 2016 to June 2024. Winarno Tjajadi, owner of PT HMBP/Best Agro Group, is reportedly among the beneficiaries, with connections to BNI as an individual shareholder.
Linda emphasized the lack of public transparency from BNI in disclosing information about these financial flows. “We faced numerous obstacles in obtaining information about this financing. Transparency is essential to ensure financial institutions do not support human rights violations and environmental destruction,” Linda stressed.
The organizations have called on the Financial Services Authority (OJK) to tighten oversight, penalize banks that violate sustainability principles, and ensure transparency in the social and environmental impacts of their financing. (T2)
