“Today we are addressing an issue that has drawn significant public attention and recently went viral on social media, regarding the alleged seizure of transmigrants’ land rights in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan,” the minister said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
He explained that the issue occurred in Rawa Indah Village, formerly the Bekambit Transmigration site in Pulau Laut Timur Sub-district, Kotabaru District, South Kalimantan, an area designated for transmigrants since the late 1980s.
A total of 438 households from West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali, and local Banjar residents were settled in 1986 and 1989 under the general transmigration scheme.
After five years of management, the area was handed over to the regional government in accordance with the Transmigration Law.
The issue emerged in 2010 when the Kotabaru District Government issued a mining business permit (IUP) covering 8,139 hectares to a mining company.
In 2013, company representatives allegedly sought copies of residents’ land documents while coal mining operations began.
Some land had been abandoned and informally sold without official deeds, complicating ownership status. In 2019, the South Kalimantan Land Agency revoked hundreds of ownership certificates, citing claims that the company had purchased the land, and later issued usage rights to the company.
Following public appeals, the ministry dispatched an investigation team and coordinated with the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).
A cross-ministerial team has been scheduled to conduct on-site mediation to ensure that any agreement proceeds in accordance with regulations, while pursuing a settlement that accommodates the interests of the community and provides legal certainty for all parties.
Related news: Minister outlines pilot projects to strengthen transmigration areas
Related news: Revitalizing transmigration areas key to economic equality: AHY
Related news: Indonesia to revitalize 154 transmigration areas for industry
Translator: Harianto, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
