History of the reserve encroachment

15 Land-use and land cover changes during the transition of decentralization Lilik Budi Prasetyo

1. Case study 1: Balairaja Wildlife Reserves Case

1.1. History of the reserve encroachment

Balairaja Wildlife reserves area is one of a number of natural reserves in Riau Province which was established under the Minister of Forestry Decree No. 173Kpts-II1986 on 6 June 1986 covering areas of 18,000 hectares. Changes on land use occurred in Balairaja Wildlife reserves are not separated from government’s policies in economic, social and cultural aspects. For Balairaja Wildlife reserves case, the existence of forest concession rights, plantation and Caltex’s mining business. Oil exploration in Riau which dated back in 1924 was under the administration of Standard Oil Company of California Socal. In 1936 the holding company became part of Caltex merger of the Texas and Socal. Five years later, the company drilled into the formation that would become the Duri Field Chevron Texaco, 2005a. In 1944 a well near Minas village was drilled by Japanese troops. Minas became the largest oil field ever discovered in Southeast Asia. Interrupted by the war and Indonesia’s subsequent struggle for independence, production began in 1952. In 1963, the company was incorporated in Indonesia as PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia CPIChevron Texaco, 2005b. When access to forest areas is possible, the Sakai tribe in 1964 started to go into forest areas which is now becoming Farmer Village Pinggir sub-district. They employed swidden cultivation, primarily for food crops. This forest was then claimed by Sakai Tribe as their traditional forest. In 1970, Social Department employed a program called Isolated Tribe Resettlement Program Pemukiman Kembali Masyarakat Terasing – PKMT in Pematang Pudu Village, Mandau Sub-district. This program provided permanent houses for the Sakai community. After the implementation of the investment policy both national and foreign, in 1977, 1978 and 1980, in this area the government issued Forest Concession Rights to 3 concession companies. This effort has given access to the people to step into forest and the economic activities grow and at some points its brought more and more people to enter into the Balairaja Forest area. A community leader revealed that in 1982 the Javanese and Bataks started enter the Balairaja area. They started to do permanent agriculture and grow rubber plants. Due to the success of this rubber plantation, this technique is then imitated by Sakai Community which has previously no knowledge of rubber plantation. In 1986, Balairaja Forest Area became wildlife reserves based on the Ministry of Forestry Decree No. 173Kpts-II1986. Based on this decision part of Pematang Pudu Village, and Pinggir Village, became part of Balairaja Areas. Even though it is determined as wildlife reserves, in 1986 and 1989, the government still issued permits to PT AD and PT DJL to open plantation of oil palm which is part of the area belongs to Balairaja Forest Area. This has triggered the return of the Javanese in 1990. Approximately 90 192 households of Java ethnic went into Petani Village of Mandau Sub-district and cutting down the forest of Balairaja Wildlife reserves and grow oil palm in the area. This oil palm plantation became larger and larger because of the law was not working optimally. The peak of the looting of Balairaja Wildlife reserves areas was in 1997 when economic crisis hit Indonesia and the succession of Suharto regime was going on in 1998. Table 15.1 describes the chronology of some important events.

1.2. Trend of Land Use Changes