Land and Sea Impacted by KIHI: The Tanah Kuning Fishermen, Farmers, and Women's Movement for Agrarian Reform in North Kalimantan

The National Strategic Project (PSN) in the Indonesian Green Industrial Area (KIHI) Tanah Kuning, North Kalimantan, has resulted in conflict and the seizure of 134.000 hectares of land belonging to the Mangkupadi Community and the criminalization of 3 people included in the KIHI HGU owned by an extractive company also connected to the owner of the mining company that is also seeking a Captive Coal-Fired Power Plant which also has an impact on the surrounding villages, namely Sajau Pura Village and Sajau Hilir Village. The social conditions of the community have been disrupted, the majority of the community who were originally fishermen and palm oil workers, now have to compete with foreign workers just to be able to work in KIHI, while the lands owned by residents are pegged and seem to be obliged to be released only for the benefit of this PSN. Their living space is shrinking, sources of income are limited, impacting families and also women who are often burdened with kitchen chores with economic needs that are starting to become unstable.

On the other hand, young people should have more opportunities to become involved in the workforce and earn a living, but they are not considered qualified to work for companies. Several residents whose land has been seized are beginning to speak out, including not only male but also female landowners. KPA Kontras, along with PLHL, have organized and worked to strengthen resistance to defend land and community rights. However, further organizing efforts are still urgently needed, especially given the state's stated goal of improving community welfare through the National Land Agency (PSN).

PLHL is assisted by the Sengkuang Farmers Group which is supported by direct funding Dana Nusantara Organizing communities through education, consolidation, and advocacy to advance community struggles in North Kalimantan is part of the effort to improve the quality of life of the people, enabling them to sustainably manage their livelihoods. This organization is also being promoted as a gateway to expanding the Agrarian Reform movement in North Kalimantan.

The program has had an impact on the consolidation of Sajau Hilir Village and Sajau Pura Village, which were affected by coal mining, forming a community movement to reject mining. This movement is also connected with the Mangkupadi and Tanah Kuning Kampung Baru Community Movements, which have succeeded in consolidating the community movement to further file legal lawsuits against land grabbing and negotiations to take back 7.000 hectares of community land that they managed to map out from the 30.000 hectares seized for PSN in KIHI based on participatory maps of priority agrarian reform locations that have been produced. This map has detailed clarity on land ownership and cultivated land from residents as well as its area and boundaries. PLHL also helps this new movement, especially fishermen, provide comparative data on the number of bags and Changes in Fishing Areas: before and after the existence of the Upstream Fish Industrial Zone (KIHI). This data can be used to measure the impact of KIHI on fishermen's livelihoods.

The organizing efforts in Tanah Kuning and Kampung Baru also ensured women's involvement in the resistance process, building a spirit of togetherness through regular discussions, allowing women to voice their needs and rights in protecting the Kampung Baru land, which overlaps with the company's HGU (right-to-use permit). Furthermore, women are regularly involved in the Kampung Baru Struggle Movement and the Kampung Baru Storytelling Forum, which connect women and youth groups from upstream, downstream, and urban areas in the struggle to regain land rights in their areas.

This is especially true because many women are disadvantaged by their husbands' decisions to release land to companies without their involvement. Companies are also more accommodating, avoiding repression against residents who undertake physical development on their land. Companies are also employing not only outsiders but also local youth who are facing significant hardship due to the loss of their livelihoods. This is a result of increasing public pressure from networks and movements formed through student protests, media coverage, and the increasing influence of the Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) and the Ministry. This strengthening is a new strategy to continue strengthening the agrarian reform movement in North Kalimantan to regain rights to land, livelihoods, and livelihoods.