Farmers' Struggle for Village Agrarian Reform in East Aceh

The Community Alliance for Justice (AMMK) is at the forefront of the struggle of Gampong communities in East Aceh to defend their rights to land claimed as HGU concession areas for oil palm plantations. Originating from the concerns of residents of Gampong Jambo Reuhat, Banda Alam District, AMMK was born as a forum to unite in addressing the agrarian conflict that has been ongoing since the early 1990s. Over time, AMMK's membership grew to eight farmer groups from Gampong Jambo Reuhat, Buket Kuta, and Seuneubok Bayu, and then expanded to include 19 farmer groups in 10 gampongs and 6 mukims.

Palm oil expansion has transformed the community's livelihoods. Cultivated and customary land, managed for generations, overlap with the concessions of two companies holding thousands of hectares of HGU (right-to-use) concessions. In many areas, community gardens, waterways, meunasah (small mosques), schools, and even cemeteries are located within or directly adjacent to concession areas. The majority of residents are forced to become low-wage and precarious laborers in the palm oil industry, including women who work as daily laborers. Ecological changes exacerbate the situation: recurring floods, increasingly hot weather, and work stoppages during the prolonged rainy season. All of this stems from one key issue—land rights that have not been recognized by the state.

Entering a new phase of the struggle, AMMK adopted a dual strategy: strengthening people's organizations while gathering concrete evidence to support village land claims. Cross-gampong consolidation was carried out through mass demonstrations, garnering public support, and engaging the media to open up dialogue and provide political protection for residents. Two demonstrations in early 2025 attracted hundreds of participants from various villages and garnered local and national media coverage. The demands voiced included the restoration of land rights, the rejection of the extension of the HGU (right to use land), the release of public facilities from concession claims, and the resolution of past human rights violations.

At the same time, AMMK conducted participatory mapping as a foundation for proving claims. Through volunteer training, field data collection, and verification with residents, AMMK successfully compiled a map of the area and plots of community-owned land adjacent to the HGU. This map documented hundreds of plots, settlement boundaries, and the existence of public facilities and village assets that had been overlooked in official maps. The spatial data, verified with residents and digitally documented, serves as crucial evidence for legal processes, including the proposal for Priority Locations for Agrarian Reform (LPRA).

Strengthening the struggle was also carried out through consolidation with traditional village and village institutions. Discussions, workshops, and audiences with the Aceh Customary Council (MAA) in East Aceh fostered understanding regarding customary authority in land and natural resource management. MAA's support provided significant social and political capital, affirming that the AMMK struggle is rooted in Aceh's legitimate and vibrant customary system.

Internally, AMMK strengthens its structure, vision, and member commitment through focus group discussions, vision-mission formulation, role allocation, and collective action agreements. The rapid growth in membership demonstrates growing public trust in AMMK as a people's organization consistently fighting for land rights.

AMMK's journey remains long and challenging. But now they are moving forward on a more solid footing: a stronger organization, widespread customary and public support, and credible spatial evidence. From Jambo Reuhat, this wave of struggle has spread to other villages and mukim in East Aceh, affirming that agrarian justice is not something to be waited for, but rather something to be fought for together—in an organized, gradual, and sustainable manner.