FORESTRY CONFLICT IN INDONESIA : ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS CONFLICT BETWEEN SOCIETIES AND CORPORATIONS  IN PELALAWAN REGENCY RIAU PROVINCE

 

Panca Setyo Prihatin¹*, Agung Wicaksono² and Cifebrima Suyastri³

¹Dr., Universitas Islam Riau, Indonesia, panca.ip@soc.uir.ac.id 

²MPA., Universitas Islam Riau, Indonesia, agung.wicaksono@soc.uir.ac.id

³M.A., Universitas Islam Riau, Indonesia, cifebrimasuyastri@soc.uir.ac.id

 *Corresponding author

 

Abstract

This study analyzes the factors that contributed to forestry conflicts in Pelalawan Regency, Riau Province. Forestry sector conflict is common in Indonesia. One of them is in Pelalawan Regency, one of the districts in Riau Province where there are many conflicts between the community and the company. The conflict is the result of the operation of many Industrial Plantation Forest (HTI) companies in the Pelalawan Regency. Many of the HTI Company's concession areas overlap with land claimed by communities for generations. This study uses a qualitative method with a case study approach. Qualitative research with Case Studies can provide sharper and deeper data access. The real cause of the emergence of conflict can be easily traced by looking at it from the historical and sociological aspects. This aspect can tell about the root of the conflict which then becomes exploded later on. In general, two frictions occur in cases of conflict in the community. This happens between the local community and the migrant community. As an entity that relies on forest resources to meet their daily needs, local people also naturally feel disturbed by the presence of the Industrial Plantation Forest Concession Company (HPHTI), which not only plunders their forests but also brings a new community, the migrants. Local people who have rarely interacted with migrants have naturally become resistant to the presence of new people, which is certainly a new culture. In the Pelalawan district itself, the majority of migrants come from Java Island. On the one hand, the migrant community, in general, has started to become established economically because their income as an HPHTI company employee is promising in terms of income. Coupled with certain skills that make them able to "be creative" in increasing the coffers of his income. This unequal economic condition causes social jealousy. Local people feel colonized in their area. The company’s presence has been nothing but a nuisance to them.

Keyword: Forestry conflict, Historical sociological factor, Society and Private