InfoSAWIT, KUTAI BARAT – Dozens of residents from Lakan Bilem Village in Nyuatan District, West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, are resisting efforts to evict them from their land to make way for a palm oil plantation. Hundreds of hectares of land, vital to their livelihoods, have been staked out without their consent, sparking strong protests from the local community.
Amsal, a former subdistrict head who is now dealing with communication difficulties due to a stroke, expressed his distress. "My family’s land, about 125 hectares, was marked off without our knowledge. They claim it’s part of a palm oil business license area, but we were never informed," Amsal said, as reported by InfoSAWIT from KBRN RRI on Friday, December 6, 2024.
He accused PT WAL, the company involved, of failing to properly inform the community and involving external parties to stake out land that does not belong to them. "This is outright stripping people of their rights. If this continues, conflict is inevitable," he stated.
The residents of Lakan Bilem have formed an association called “Sempekat Dayeeq Bersatu,” guided by the adat authority Tumenggung Setia Raja Raikng Garuda Hutan (TSR-RGH). This organization, now representing dozens of members with nearly 1,000 hectares of land, has firmly rejected the presence of palm oil companies in their area.
Kamarudin, Chair of TSR-RGH, criticized the lack of communication from the company and cited the community's poor experience with profit-sharing schemes for plasma plantations, which he described as often opaque. "The company always promises profits from plasma, but in reality, it’s just empty promises. In the end, it’s the community that suffers," he said.
Kamarudin emphasized that most of the staked land, including areas in Lakan Bilem and neighboring villages such as Intu Lingau and Sembuan, remains unclear in terms of ownership. “We refuse to give up our land because it is where we live, work, and preserve our ancestral heritage,” he declared.
Paulina Sente, a Dayak resident, recounted a similar experience, where she took a palm oil company to court but ultimately lost. “We don’t want to be victims again. This land is the legacy of our ancestors, and it’s our duty to protect it. We only hope the government will help us,” she said earnestly.
As of this writing, Lakan Bilem Village Chief Sukran has not responded to the community's rejection of the palm oil expansion plan.
The residents of Lakan Bilem are calling on the government, including President Prabowo Subianto, to safeguard their land rights. “We are just ordinary people, but we will not give up,” Amsal affirmed. (T2)
