AGRARIAN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND PTPN 1 REGIONAL 2 CASE STUDY: BUNISARI SUB-VILLAGE, LANGENSARI VILLAGE, SUKARAJA DISTRICT, SUKABUMI REGENCY, WEST JAVA PROVINCE

• Main Author: Maulana Shani, Fauzan
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/87651
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

This research examines the management of agrarian conflict between the Bunisari Village community in Langensari Village and PTPN 1 Regional 2 in Sukabumi Regency, West Java. The conflict originated from land cultivation in the 1990s, initially under a rental system, which evolved into an open conflict following the expiration of some of PTPN's cultivation rights (HGU) in 2013. The study employs a qualitative approach with a case study method, collecting data through in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis from various stakeholders, including community representatives, PTPN officials, local government authorities, and agrarian reform activists. The findings reveal that the agrarian conflict in Bunisari Village represents a manifestation of structural inequality rooted in colonial legacy that has transformed into an organized social movement. The historical trajectory of the conflict can be traced back to 1892 when Dutch colonial policies established the Erpacht system, which became the predecessor of the current cultivation rights system. Community settlement in the area began in 1948 as plantation workers, creating complex socio-economic relationships with the land that persist to this day. The research identifies distinct conflict phases: pre-conflict (1948-2015), confrontation (2015-2017), crisis (2017-2020), and the current outcome phase characterized by a status quo situation. Conflict resolution efforts through various mechanisms, from village to national level, have not yielded resolution due to fundamental differences in perspectives regarding land function and ownership. PTPN views the land as a state asset requiring corporate management, while the community considers it a fundamental resource for their livelihood and social justice. The conflict is driven by three main factors: (1) regulatory conflicts between State-Owned Enterprise Law and agrarian reform policies, particularly the contradictions between, Presidential Regulation 62/2023, Government Regulation 18/2021, Government Regulation 20/2021, and Law No. 19/2003, (2) colonial-inherited economic disparities reflected in the rejection of the Plantation Village Community Empowerment scheme, which the community views as perpetuating economic dependency, and (3) legitimacy contestation between state-owned enterprise asset status and community claims supported by local government. The study reveals the emergence of a sophisticated social movement through the establishment of the Suryakencana Sukabumi Farmers' Brotherhood (PPSS), which has formed strategic alliances with the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA). This partnership has transformed local grievances into a systematic agrarian reform movement, connecting the Bunisari case to broader national advocacy networks encompassing 851 priority locations for agrarian reform across 23 provinces. The research recommends harmonizing regulations for handling agrarian conflicts involving state-owned enterprises, particularly through developing detailed implementing regulations for Presidential Regulation 62/2023. It emphasizes the need for strengthening cross-sectoral coordination through the Agrarian Reform Task Force, suggesting the integration of conflict resolution into regional development planning. For PTPN, the study recommends comprehensive asset mapping to identify conflict and clean areas, followed by the development of conflict resolution schemes that consider historical land tenure and community socio-economic conditions. Community-level recommendations focus on strengthening organizational capacity in sustainable land management and developing constructive social movement strategies while utilizing formal channels through the Agrarian Reform Task Force mechanism.