Indonesian Government Forces Face Criticism Over Escalating Tensions in Padang Halaban Evictions

SUMATRA, RAKYAT NEWS – A coalition of civil society organizations has strongly condemned the ongoing eviction attempts by PT. Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (PT. SMART) in Padang Halaban Plantation, North Labuhanbatu Regency, North Sumatra.

The struggle of the local community, particularly the Padang Halaban Farmers Group and Surrounding Areas (KTPH-S), has persisted for decades. The residents of Padang Halaban, comprising six villages, are victims of forced evictions that occurred between 1969 and 1970.

These villages—Sidomulyo, Karang Anyar, Sidodadi/Aek Korsik, Purworejo/Aek Ledong, Kartosentono/Brussel, and Sukadame/Panigoran—span approximately 3,000 hectares. The community has lived and cultivated the land since the Japanese occupation, transforming what was once a Dutch-Belgian palm oil and rubber plantation into thriving villages and farmland.

However, during the authoritarian New Order regime, the government prioritized capitalist interests over the welfare of the people, issuing Cultivation Rights (HGU) that encompassed the community’s settlements and farmland. Since 1970, the residents of Padang Halaban have tirelessly sought justice, but their land has never been returned.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, representatives from the six villages collectively reclaimed 83.5 hectares of their ancestral land in 2009, which had since been under PT. SMART’s HGU.

The legal battle took a devastating turn in 2014 when the Rantau Prapat District Court ruled against the community. This decision was upheld by the Medan High Court in 2015 and the Supreme Court in 2016, stripping the residents of their hopes for justice.

On February 28, 2025, the court issued an eviction order (No. 488/PAN.PN/W2.U13/HK2/II/2025), threatening to displace families who have relied on the land for housing and subsistence farming. For the Padang Halaban community, this land is not just a source of livelihood but also a vital part of their identity and history, especially as they are victims of past human rights violations during the 1965-1966 atrocities.