Jakarta – Dozens of people calling themselves the Sidoarjo Youth Movement (GPS) held a protest action at the Sidoarjo National Land Agency (BPN) offices on Thursday January 30 to highlight the case of 656 hectares of sea area with right to build (HGB) certificates in the Sidoarjo Sea
The protesters brought posters that read "Eradicate the Land & Sea Mafia in Sidoarjo" and "Sack ATR/BPN Head Nusron Wahid If You Can't Resolve the Sidoarjo Land/Sea Case".
GPS action coordinator Nanang Romi said the emergence of HGBs in the Sidoarjo Sea is a threat and very detrimental to the community, especially fishers on the coast of Segoro Tambak Village in Sedati district. "This is a threat to the community, especially the coastal residents who we know work as fishers", Romi said.
According to Romi, corporations should not be able to control the land in the ocean. The HGBs are evidence of the abuse of authority. Moreover, he said, the HGBs on the ocean are now being used as collateral or debt guarantee at the bank by company that own them.
"What's really evil, is when SHGB [building rights certificates] for the ocean are used as collateral with banks. If the corporation is not responsible, who is harmed?", he asked.
"Of course it's the community and regions whose money was poured out for the corporation. The bank should conduct a survey before providing collateral", he added.
The protesters also asked the BPN and law enforcement officials to pursue and investigate the case, even though the HGBs will expire next year in 2026. "Investigative actions are still needed to ensure what land was used as the collateral", he said.
The protesters were then met by the head of the Sidoarjo Land Office, Muh Rizal. He said that the discovery of the HGBs in the Sidoarjo Sea have received a response from Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) head Nusron Wahid.
He said that based on the investigation carried out by the Sidoarjo BPN, the land used to be mainland ponds that had been lost due to abrasion and that the validity period would end in 2026.
Therefore he said, there are two mechanisms that can be pursued in relation to HGBs. The first is to let the HGBs expire and the second is to consider the region land that had been destroyed due to abrasion.
"The period for HGBs in the region will end in 2026 and will not be extended. Secondly, it has been destroyed", said Rizal.
According to Law Number 5/1960 Article 40, he said, one of the reasons for the removal of HGBs was if the land was destroyed, and according to Rizal at this time the area has already become sea.
"Now there is nothing there, there is no fencing, fishers are free to pass without interruption. So, there is no way there is a proposed for HGBs to be extended, moreover the land has been recorded as sea", he said.
The disclosure of three HGB covering 656 hectares in Sidoarjo waters has surprised the public. The East Java ATR/BPN says that the owners of the HGBs are the companies PT Surya Inti Permata (PT SIP) and PT Semeru Cemerlang (PT SC).
PT SIP has two pots with an area of 285.16 hectares and 219.31 hectares, while PT SC has one plot of 152.36 hectares. The HGBs were issued in 1996 with a validity period of 30 years, and will end in 2026.
The existence of HGBs over these waters have raised concerns about the environmental and social impacts, especially for coastal communities in Segoro Tambak Village. (frd/isn)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Demo HGB Laut di Sidoarjo, Massa Minta Kepala ATR/BPN Dicopot".]
