Ahead of Cot Girek HGU Expiry, State-Owned PTPN IV Plantation Occupied and Looted

Thousands of workers and their families at a state-owned enterprise (BUMN) plantation in Cot Girek, Aceh, are now facing economic hardship. For more than six months, their incomes have drastically declined due to occupation and looting. The state plantation has also suffered losses amounting to billions of rupiah. The Cot Girek estate, part of PTPN IV Regional 6, has been forcibly occupied and looted by a group of people claiming to be local residents. This incident arose because the state plantation’s land use permit (HGU) is due to expire soon. The looting, accompanied by violence and ongoing since September 2025, has directly impacted the livelihoods of 2,400 workers and their families who depend on the estate. The theft of fresh fruit bunches has not only wiped out the plantation’s harvest but also directly affected the incomes of those reliant on its production. Rusli Cut Ali, one of the plantation workers, told reporters that the situation has placed a severe burden on his family. “Previously, the harvest incentive, which we call a premium, was a lifeline to cover daily needs. It was worth Rp 2-5 million per month. Since the end of last year, we haven’t received it,” he stated on Thursday (18/6). According to him, this is deeply troubling. For PTPN workers, besides their salary, the premium is a crucial part of their monthly income. When production is disrupted by theft and looting, the premium they usually receive is eroded or even becomes zero. Region Head of PTPN IV Regional 6, Yudi Cahyadi, stated that his team has made maximum efforts to prevent the looting, including resolving the HGU extension process which is the root of the problem. “We have carried out security measures and coordinated with the relevant authorities. Reports to the police have also been made repeatedly. We have even appealed to the government and the DPR. The process for extending the HGU has also been carried out according to regulations. However, this looting at the Cot Girek plantation by these newcomers continues to drag on,” he said. Yudi also expressed concern over the condition of the workers and their families, as well as the surrounding community, most of whom depend on the state-owned oil palm plantation in the ‘Veranda of Mecca’. He continues to hope that the state, through all relevant parties, can help resolve these criminal acts, which have had a significant impact not only on the workers but also caused substantial losses to the state. According to him, the occupied and looted area covers approximately 3,200 hectares, resulting in production losses amounting to tens of billions of rupiah. “As of early June, the calculated losses have reached Rp 62.6 billion. That excludes damage to crops, which is valued at nearly Rp 1 billion. We therefore earnestly request assistance from all parties to resolve this issue. The more harvest that is lost, the greater the state’s losses and, most importantly, the greater the impact on the incomes of the people whose livelihoods depend on plantation activities,” he asserted. Yudi added that PTPN management will continue to fight for state assets and the rights of oil palm workers and the dependent community. “Management’s policy will always align with the hopes of all workers and the community, which is for this problem to be resolved. There should be no need for physical conflict and the state should not have to bear further losses. We want a safe plantation with normalised production, because behind every lost bunch of oil palm fruit, the rights and welfare of the community are also being seized,” he concluded.