BRWA: One Million Hectares of Customary Land in Central Sulawesi Threatened by Corporate Expansion

Palu (ANTARA) - The Customary Area Registration Agency (BRWA) has revealed that one million hectares of indigenous land are threatened by the mining and plantation industries in Central Sulawesi (Sulteng).

“Up to 2025, 96 customary areas with a total area of 1,063,875 hectares spread across 12 districts/cities have been recorded,” said the Head of BRWA Sulteng, Joisman Tanduru, in Palu on Wednesday.

His side assesses that the condition of indigenous communities is increasingly pressured due to the massive industrial downstreaming and corporate expansion. On the other hand, he appreciates the birth of Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 12 of 2025 on the Recognition and Protection of Customary Legal Communities (PPMHA).

“Without a governor’s regulation and the establishment of a functional Indigenous Peoples Committee, this regulation has the potential not to function amid land grabbing pressures,” said Joisman Tanduru.

He said the regulation is needed because 34 customary areas cross district administrative boundaries, thus requiring policy synchronisation between the provincial and district governments.

Currently, only four districts in Sulteng have the PPMHA Perda, namely Morowali, Sigi, Tojo Una-Una, and Banggai Kepulauan. BRWA encourages other districts to immediately draft similar regulations as a form of protection for indigenous communities.

Joisman emphasised that the existence of the perda must be followed by concrete steps in the form of issuing a Decree (SK) for the recognition of indigenous communities. Without that, indigenous communities are considered to remain in a vulnerable position.

“The perda is not for display. Without an SK for recognition and real protection of customary areas, indigenous communities will continue to be victims of criminalisation and displaced from their living spaces,” said Joisman Tanduru.