The agrarian conflicts occurring in Indonesia began with the seizure of people’s land by the state for mining and plantation industry interests, carried out through the government’s ambitious flagship program, the National Strategic Projects (PSN).

People’s freedom means being able to live independently on their own land. However, their welfare is disrupted when their land is taken and repurposed for corporate interests. People’s land is not merely a symbol of the cultural value of ancestral territory; land belonging to communities, such as customary forests, also plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of natural ecosystems. When forests are cleared for the expansion of palm oil plantations, we are essentially destroying the ecological balance that sustains life.