Hundreds of Luwu Timur Farmers Reject Land Clearance Plan
Hundreds of farmers gathered at a land area in Laoli Hamlet, Harapan Village, Malili District, Luwu Timur Regency, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday (28/7) to reject the Luwu Timur Regency Government’s plan to clear the land for industrial zone development. The action served to affirm the residents’ stance that they will continue to defend the land they have occupied and cultivated, even though the government has prepared stages for the clearance.
In a video received by the media, residents were seen taking turns conveying their aspirations through speeches. They believe the clearance plan has the potential to disregard the community’s rights to land they have controlled and worked on for a long time, prior to the issuance of the Management Rights Certificate (HPL) belonging to the Luwu Timur Regency Government.
“We are gathered here to defend our rights as citizens. We reject forced eviction because we have controlled this land for a long time,” one resident said in a speech that was met with support from the crowd.
The situation at the protest site remained conducive. Residents gathered at several points while expressing their commitment to stay if the land clearance process is actually carried out.
The residents’ action took place a day after the Luwu Timur Regency Government held a technical meeting regarding preparations for the land clearance. Previously, an internal letter from the Luwu Timur Regency Government dated 23 July 2026, signed by Regional Secretary Ramadhan Pirade, had circulated. In the letter, the government invited the management of PT Indonesia Huali Industry Park (IHIP) to a meeting to align perceptions and ensure readiness for the land clearance.
The letter stated that the clearance would be carried out on land that had undergone the Social Impact Handling (PDSK) process and after the completion of the compensation money deposit mechanism, or consignment, at the Malili District Court. The document also drew attention because it requested PT IHIP to bring company security personnel to the preparatory meeting.
The residents of Laoli have opposed the clearance plan from the beginning. Before the consignment mechanism was processed at the Malili District Court, the farmers, through legal counsel from LBH Makassar, had submitted objections and chose not to attend the court proceedings.
They believe the consignment mechanism has not resolved the core issue regarding the status of land rights. Residents fear the process will instead become the basis for proceeding with the land clearance.
Meanwhile, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) had previously requested that the Luwu Timur Regency Government postpone the clearance until the process of handling community complaints is completed. Despite the residents’ rejection and the request for postponement from Komnas HAM, internal government documents indicate that technical coordination regarding the clearance preparations is still ongoing.