Indonesia Passes Agrarian Reform Law to Resolve Land Disputes

The Government of Indonesia passed the Agrarian Reform Law on September 22, creating a new oversight body to manage land reform and resolve conflicts between the state, corporations, and local communities. This new entity reports directly to Prabowo Subianto and possesses authority over the implementation and supervision of disputes involving indigenous groups, farmers, mines, and plantations.

Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid stated that the government will develop specific regulations to define the body's powers, manage the transfer of state property, and establish land ownership limits. The legislation seeks to end persistent violence and legal disputes caused by overlapping customary and colonial land ownership regimes.

The law follows a recent campaign by the administration to seize millions of hectares of land deemed to be used illegally. Lawmaker Iman Sukri detailed the specific powers of the new body during the parliamentary plenary hearing in Jakarta.