ATR/BPN Special Staff: Certification of Communal Land Serves as Protection for the People
Riau – The Pelalawan Regency government in Riau Province is pushing to accelerate the legalisation of communal land.
Special Staff of the Ministry of ATR/BPN, Rezka Oktoberia, stated that the Ministry of ATR/BPN, through its programme for the administration and registration of communal land, reaffirms its commitment to protecting the rights of customary law communities and preserving ancestral heritage to ensure it remains sustainable and legally protected.
“The communal land registration programme represents the state’s presence in protecting the rights of indigenous communities,” said Rezka during a speech at the socialisation event for communal land registration in the Auditorium on the third floor of the Pelalawan Regent’s office, quoted on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.
She also explained that this programme is not intended to take over communal land as state property, but rather serves as the state’s protection for customary land that holds economic, social, cultural, and spiritual value for the community.
“Through registration, communal land gains legal certainty, is protected from disputes and unilateral takeovers, and can be more securely passed on to future generations. The registration of communal land also forms a synergy between customary law and national land law without eliminating the living customary values in society,” she stated.
She added that this registration is a right, not an obligation, so the decision remains in the hands of the customary law communities.
“Therefore, support and cooperation from all parties are needed, from local government, customary institutions, community leaders, to the indigenous communities themselves, so that the protection of communal land and the welfare of indigenous communities, especially in Riau Province, particularly in Pelalawan Regency, can continue to be maintained,” she clarified.
She also mentioned that Riau Province is one of eight national priority areas in 2026, with Pelalawan Regency as one of the focuses for programme implementation.
“We hope this forum is utilised as best as possible, including to gather information on communal lands that have not yet been included in the indicative data,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Riau Province BPN Regional Office, Nurhadi Putra, stated that to date, seven plots of communal land objects in Pelalawan Regency have been inventoried as part of the initial data collection steps.
He emphasised that the activities carried out are not limited to socialisation, but represent the initial stage in the communal land administration process, which will continue gradually and sustainably.