• Burmese
Friday, June 13, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
27 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home Features

Indonesian Islanders Fight Developer with Snorkels and Homestays

Thomson Reuters Foundation by Thomson Reuters Foundation
October 9, 2018
in Features
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0 0
A A
Tourists on Kuta beach, Bali, Indonesia, December 25, 2017.  / Reuters

Tourists on Kuta beach, Bali, Indonesia, December 25, 2017.  / Reuters

9.1k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

PULAU PARI, Indonesia — Syahrul Hidayat’s family has lived on the Indonesian island of Pulau Pari for four generations, fishing in its clear blue waters and selling seaweed to supplement their incomes.

But their lives and livelihoods have come under threat in recent years as their customary land rights have been denied, and a developer claims ownership of much of the island off the northern coast near Jakarta.

The 1,200-strong community is already contending with the existential threats of warmer temperatures, rising seas and worsening marine pollution. But the denial of land rights could strike the deadliest blow, said Hidayat.

RelatedPosts

Myanmar Tourism Sector Mocks Junta’s Russia Tourist Drive

Myanmar Tourism Sector Mocks Junta’s Russia Tourist Drive

June 13, 2025
104
Paranoid Junta Turns to Foreign Expertise After 4 Years of Chaos; and More

Paranoid Junta Turns to Foreign Expertise After 4 Years of Chaos; and More

May 10, 2025
1.5k
Naypyitaw Parliament Crumbles as Myanmar Junta’s Grand Ambitions Collapse 

Naypyitaw Parliament Crumbles as Myanmar Junta’s Grand Ambitions Collapse 

April 24, 2025
1.4k

“We have adapted to smaller catches of fish and smaller volumes of seaweed, because of climate change and pollution,” said Hidayat, who is leading the campaign to reclaim the community’s land rights.

“But how can we cope with losing our homes and land? Where will we go, what will we do?”

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, has about 81,000 km (50,000 miles) of coastline, with millions of people dependent on the sea for their livelihood.

Across the country, many have already been forced to move because of eroding coastlines.

Others face pressure from developers keen to build hotels and apartment blocks on its acclaimed beaches, activists say.

“The coastal communities have always had customary rights, but few have formal titles, and this is being used as a way to evict them,” said Susan Herawati, secretary general of the People’s Coalition for Fisheries Justice, KIARA.

“We are an island nation, yet so many coastal communities are struggling without rights. They are forgotten even in the push for agrarian reform in the country,” she said.

Seaweed and Snorkels

President Joko Widodo last month signed a decree on agrarian reform, with an aim to issue titles and distribute land to peasants and indigenous people.

Officials distributed more than five million land titles last year, and plan to issue seven million titles this year.

But the effort is hampered by the government’s insistence on providing titles only if ownership can be considered “clean and clear,”which excludes areas where land is disputed, activists say.

That affects residents of Pulau Pari, who say that local officials promised a few years ago that they would receive land certificates after submitting the old papers that were informal records of the land they occupied.

They handed over their documents, but never did get the certificates, said Hidayat.

In 2014, signs went up on the island declaring that much of the land belonged to a private firm.

“We were tricked into giving up the only proof of ownership we had, and were not informed of the plans to sell our land,” Hidayat told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“We paid taxes on the land, yet many of us were charged with trespassing, and some threatened with civil and criminal suits. Some were scared and left the island,” he said.

The company Bumi Pari Asri did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The 95-hectare island was uninhabited until the early 1900s, when dozens of people from the large island of Java decamped there to avoid forced labor under Dutch colonialists, according to historians.

The first residents named it Pulau Pari for the pari, or rays swimming in its clear waters.

Residents mostly made a living from fishing, then cultivated seaweed as warmer temperatures led to diminished catches.

But the seaweed was affected by pollution from reclamation of land in Jakarta Bay, said Hidayat.

As residents discussed livelihood options, a few non-profits suggested they try eco-tourism.

Nearly all households on the island have been involved in the effort since about 2010, offering homestays and activities such as snorkeling, canoeing and cycling for visitors.

“Residents are able to be self-sufficient while also conserving the island’s eco-system with their traditional knowledge,” said KIARA’s Herawati, who assisted the community in the project.

“It was the best possible solution.”

‘New Balis’

Tourism is a major source of revenue for Indonesia, accounting for more than 10 percent of its annual gross domestic product. The country, famed for its beaches and volcanic craters, aims to draw 20 million visitors a year by 2019.

Key to this goal is the creation of “10 new Balis,”as the president has vowed, referring to the country’s most popular tourist destination.

Among the proposed new Balis are islands that will be spruced up with new airports, wider roads, resorts and other tourist facilities.

But officials risk damaging fragile eco-systems and excluding local communities from livelihood opportunities and access to their land, say analysts and activists.

That is becoming a common complaint across the region.

From Thailand to the Philippines, authorities have come under fire for allowing unchecked sprawl on islands and denying coastal communities their “right to island.”

“Instead of a resort that occupies the land of the residents and may damage the ecology without much benefit to the people, a community-led effort is a far better option,” said Herawati.

“Our thirst for fancy beach resorts must not come at the cost of the land and livelihoods of coastal people,” she said.

Following petitions by Pulau Pari residents to the Jakarta governor, an ombudsman conducted an inquiry.

The ombudsman said earlier this year that there had been violations in issuing certificates of ownership and building permits to the developer. He advised an audit by the National Land Agency.

“I have asked for detailed reports on the dispute. I will check all the facts and make a decision,” Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan told reporters in May after the ombudsman’s report.

In the meantime, residents of Pulau Pari will keep fighting, said Hidayat.

“This is our home,” he said.

“We are simply asking the government for our legal right over the land we have lived on all these years. Who else can we appeal to?”

Your Thoughts …
Tags: DevelopmentLand RightsTourism
Thomson Reuters Foundation

Thomson Reuters Foundation

Agency

Similar Picks:

Five-Star Casino Resort on Myanmar Tropical Island Runs Out of Luck
Burma

Five-Star Casino Resort on Myanmar Tropical Island Runs Out of Luck

by The Irrawaddy
February 6, 2024
19.1k

U Kyaw Lwin ran his casino resort on the visa-free island for more than 10 years before facing arrest in...

Read moreDetails
In Western Myanmar, an Ethnic Landlord is Poised to Liberate ‘Crony Beach’
Burma

In Western Myanmar, an Ethnic Landlord is Poised to Liberate ‘Crony Beach’

by The Irrawaddy
June 25, 2024
15.7k

After capturing Thandwe Airport, the Arakan Army is just steps away from Myanmar’s most valuable beach and the crony-owned resorts...

Read moreDetails
Touting Holidays in a Flooded Warzone; Praising Savior China; and More
Junta Watch

Touting Holidays in a Flooded Warzone; Praising Savior China; and More

by The Irrawaddy
October 5, 2024
13.3k

Also this week, the regime launched its pre-election census, and unveiled a flood relief budget dwarfed by military spending as...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Travel Sector Mocks Junta Tourist Claim
Burma

Myanmar Travel Sector Mocks Junta Tourist Claim

by The Irrawaddy
September 30, 2023
7.8k

Regime chief Min Aung Hlaing told a gathering on Wednesday that more than 600,000 tourists had visited Myanmar this year.

Read moreDetails
Junta Minister Makes Surreal Pitch for War-Torn Myanmar as Global Tourism Destination
Burma

Junta Minister Makes Surreal Pitch for War-Torn Myanmar as Global Tourism Destination

by Maung Kavi
January 9, 2025
6.1k

Amid the spreading civil war and rising urban crime, Mya Tun Oo called on junta government agencies to market Myanmar...

Read moreDetails
War-Torn Myanmar to Entice Tourists With Visas on Arrival
Business

War-Torn Myanmar to Entice Tourists With Visas on Arrival

by The Irrawaddy
September 14, 2023
5.7k

Chinese, Indian tourists will be the first to benefit from the pilot project, but tour operators say conflict is a...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
--

Ten Things to Do in Yangon This Week

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on Sunday. / KCNA via Reuters

US' Pompeo Hails 'Significant' North Korea Progress; Experts Skeptical

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

The Hidden Fallout From China’s Cross-Border Crime Crackdown in Myanmar

The Hidden Fallout From China’s Cross-Border Crime Crackdown in Myanmar

4 days ago
1.4k
How the Myanmar Military’s Propaganda Efforts Have Evolved Over the Decades

How the Myanmar Military’s Propaganda Efforts Have Evolved Over the Decades

2 days ago
918

Most Read

  • Civilians in Need as Arakan Army Advances on Kyaukphyu

    Civilians in Need as Arakan Army Advances on Kyaukphyu

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Advances into Karenni State

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Jade Hub Burns as Junta Counteroffensive Penetrates Hpakant

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • China Defends Myanmar Junta on Human Rights at UN

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • High-Level Ministerial Meeting Held to Speed Up Preparations for Myanmar Junta’s Election

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.