English - Center for International Forestry Research

4.1.4. Land Speculation
In the northern part of the Labuan Indah areas (See Figure 7 -Subsite 3),
approximately 3,000 ha of land remains to be planted by PT. SIL. The vegetation in
this areas is secondary forest. However, since the end of 1998, farmers in two
transmigration villages (Desa Gedong Boga and Desa Buko Poso) that are located
with in the border of PT. SIL have burned and cleared these areas. They call this
newly opened land Umbul Sumber Rejeki.
By the end of 1999, conversion of secondary forest land to agricultural land was
approximately 940 ha (Figure 11). Farmers from other villages also cleared the forest
in these areas. By the 1999, 390 households occupied this area. The majority of the
households are Javanese (80%) with minorities of Balinese (10%), and other (10%).
Most of them come from the transmigration villages.
Figure 11. Establishment of agricultural land by farmers in industrial timber plantation
The major motivation for clearing this land is land speculation. The people do not
know or pretend not to know that these lands are within PT. SIL’s concession. They
thought they could cultivate the land as it was uncultivated. If these land belongs to
the state, people thought they could borrow the land for mostly planting cassava and
rice. They expected that if many people cultivated this land, the government would
recognize their right to use this land. Even though, nobody has recognized their
rights, they still benefit from cultivating cassava on this free land. They also realize
that there is a potential conflict with Mesuji people who may claim the land under
Mesuji customary law.
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