KPA Uncovers 13 Land Conflicts in Bali

Denpasar — The Konsorsium Pembaruan Agraria (KPA) Bali inaugurated a new office in Denpasar, while emphasising that agrarian conflicts in Bali and across Indonesia remain unresolved. Secretary-General Dewi Kartika opened the office, located at Jalan Mekar II Blok CV Nomor 5A, Pemogan, Denpasar. The ceremony was attended by several activists, community assistants, and representatives from the National Land Agency (BPN).

Ni Made Indrawati, coordinator of KPA Bali, noted that in 2025 there were 13 instances of agrarian conflict in Bali. Some older cases remain unresolved, including disputes at Sendang Pasir and the land ownership dispute for Timor-Timur refugees in Buleleng, which has lasted more than 30 years. ‘There are cases where agreements were made three times, but realisation on the ground did not occur,’ Indrawati said on Wednesday, 20 May 2026.

Nationwide, KPA’s 2025 Year-End Note (Catahu) records more than 240 agrarian conflict outbreaks, affecting more than 700,000 hectares of land and around 135,000 households in various provinces.

Dewi Kartika specifically warned about the threat of converting agricultural land in Bali. She said that the expansion of tourism that continues to erode paddy fields and gardens is counterproductive because Bali’s tourist appeal has largely relied on the agrarian landscape itself. ‘Do not let agricultural land in Bali be eroded further for tourism interests.’

She also touched on the national situation of farmers. Of Indonesia’s 27 million farmers, 17 million are smallholders with limited land ownership. These groups should be the priority for land redistribution under agrarian reform. ‘Farmers together with fishermen are the backbone of this nation’s food security,’ she said.

KPA Bali said it would push for cooperation with BPN and regional governments to resolve protracted conflicts. The new office in Denpasar, Dewi said, is expected to become a centre for the agrarian reform struggle and a space for small communities facing land issues. Previously, KPA Bali conducted more activities in Buleleng, North Bali.