DPR Commission XIII: The State Must Be Present for the People in Agrarian Conflicts

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Deputy Chairman of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Sugiat Santoso, stated that the state must be present to provide legal certainty, justice, and the protection of community rights in every resolution of agrarian conflicts.

He made this statement as part of an effort to encourage the resolution of long-standing agrarian conflicts in Padang Halaban, North Labuhanbatu Regency, North Sumatra. In that region, there is an agrarian conflict involving 83.26 hectares of land between a company and local residents.

“This is an important step to ensure legal certainty regarding the status of the disputed land, while simultaneously paving the way for a just resolution,” said Sugiat in a written statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.

He expressed his desire for a comprehensive, peaceful, and fair resolution to the Padang Halaban agrarian conflict, which should serve as a model for resolving land disputes by prioritising human rights principles.

In the resolution process, he noted that Commission XIII of the DPR RI is working alongside the Ministry of Human Rights, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), the North Sumatra Provincial Government, the North Labuhanbatu Regency Government, representatives of the affected residents, and the company involved.

He emphasised that Commission XIII of the DPR RI, together with the Ministry of Human Rights, Komnas HAM, and the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, will closely monitor and supervise the entire resolution process until it is completed.

He added that the tens of hectares of land must be ensured to be handed over to the residents entitled to receive it in accordance with applicable legal provisions. This follows a statement from the Ministry of ATR/BPN indicating that the land in question is not included within the company’s Cultivation Right (HGU) area.

“Commission XIII of the DPR RI will continue to oversee this process to ensure that community rights are protected and that all parties fulfil their commitments in accordance with the prevailing regulations,” he concluded.