Communication and Conflict of North Coast Resources Utilization in Serang Regency Was Revised Into Constitution No
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Article Komunitas: International Journal of Communication and Conflict Indonesian Society and Culture 11(1) (2019):85-98 DOI:10.15294/komunitas.v11i1.18051 of North Coast Resources © 2019 Semarang State University, Indonesia p-ISSN 2086 - 5465 | e-ISSN 2460-7320 Utilization in Serang Regency http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/komunitas UNNES JOURNALS Ail Muldi1, Sumardjo² , Rilus A Kinseng³, Basita Ginting Sugihen4 1Faculty of Social and Political Science, Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa 2,3,4Faculty of Human Ecology, Institut Pertanian Bogor Received: February 10, 2018; Accepted: March 1, 2019; Published: March 30, 2019 Abstract The gap in the coastal resources utilization on the North Coast in Serang Regency has the potential to cause conflict between coastal communities dealing with local governments and sea sand mining companies. This research focuses on how the communication practices of the conflicting parties and the typology of con- flict, communication interactions in conflict relations and communication strategies in conflict solutions. The research used qualitative approach which was conducted through in-depth interview with informants purposively. The results of the research showed that the dominance of natural resources was the trigger for conflict in the utilization of coastal resources on the North Coast in Serang Regency. The ineffectiveness of government and company communication in managing conflict potentials made coastal communities per- ceived the sea sand mining activities negatively. Coastal communities fought for their interests in various forms namely demonstrations, anarchism, social conflict between layers and human rights violations. The most active community groups were fishermen because sea sand mining had caused technical problems with fishing and decrease in income. The conflicting parties communicated with each other openly, defen- sively and in confrontational way. The practice of communication in resolving conflicts ran less effectively because the government and the company did not involve conflicting parties through communication to resolve the conflict. The research findings are the basis of understanding to manage potential conflicts and its escalations through appropriate communication to reach consensus to realize convergence of interests. Keywords communication strategy; natural resource conflict; conflict resolution INTRODUCTION increased in the reform era as the change of system of state ownership to natural resour- Coastal resources utilization conflict is ori- ces which were no longer centralistic but it ginally caused by access gap and no con- has been decentralized by the government. vergence of interests due to appropriate Local governments have the authority to communication. Agricultural and natu- manage natural resources in their regions ral resource conflicts (NRC) in Indonesia based on Constitution No. 32 of 2004 which after the new order era were increasingly high and increasing from latent to mani- Corresponding author fest conflict accompanied by human rights Jl. Raya Jakarta Km 4 Pakupatan, Serang City, Banten Province violations (HuMa, 2013; KPA, 2015). Agri- Email cultural and natural resources conflicts had [email protected] 86 Ail Muldi, et al, Communication and Conflict of North Coast Resources Utilization in Serang Regency was revised into Constitution No. 23 of 2014 in building member identity and group col- concerning on regional government. Local lectivity in conflict groups (Kreisberg 2003). government has the potential to increase The conflict turns brutal because of the lack Regional Original Revenue (ROR) from na- of communication channels (Engel & Korf tural resources based on Constitution No. 33 2005). The closure of dialogue results in re- of 2004 concerning on financial balance bet- sentment, political resistance, violence and ween the central and regional governments. escalation (Susan, 2009). Decentralization encouraged the Go- Fishermen were getting bolder to fight vernment of Serang Regency to exploit sea for their interests in public in the era of de- sand. Sea sand exploitation which is inten- centralization (Kinseng, 2017). Fishermen in ded to increase ROR is a political driven Balik Papan and East Kalimantan were figh- of regional and government head. The sea ting for their rights and lives by carrying out sand exploitation activities were getting various strategies from peaceful dialogue, higher along with market demand. Local go- demonstrations, hostages, to arson. Fis- vernments were more accommodating with hermen resolved the resource conflicts by capital penetration from outside the region means of peace or violence. Resource con- which was often counter-productive with flicts at the level of brutality are influenced justice, welfare, and sustainability of natu- by livelihood problems and depend on the ral resources (Nurzal, 2004). Sea sand exp- resolution process. If the conflict resolution loitation was ecologically very detrimental process drags on, peaceful resolution does and harmed small islands as well as coastal not succeed, conflict tends to be brutal (Kin- communities who worked as fishermen who seng, 2007). utilized fisheries resources as a source of li- Eco-sociological approach sees con- velihood (Satria, 2009). flict as the result of clash of interests and the Government and company policies developed social-environmental positions in the utilization of natural resources were and relationships that develop following so- dominated and the terms of interest of fun- cial interactions. Conflict is a social relation- ders were from outsiders. The source of the ship between social actors characterized by conflict came from the market economy opposition and anger, whether expressed domination towards the control of natural openly or not in order to achieve their own resources. The structural natural resource desires (Kinseng, 2013). Struggles in natu- conflicts have various, chronic, compre- ral resource conflicts also involve emotions hensive problems and these were sensitive that make conflicts complex and damage to issues of social justice. Natural resource stakeholder relations (Sultana, 2011). From conflicts occurred in various forms, such as a psychological point of view, conflict is a demonstrations, anarchism, social conflicts perception of differences in interests or the between layers, separatist movements, and belief that the aspirations of the conflicting human rights violations (Sumardjo, 2015). parties cannot be achieved simultaneously Latent (closed) interest groups be- (Pruitt & Rubin, 2004), the different objec- come manifest (open) if there are brave tives of the parties that are mutually bound leaders to have conflict relations, groups (Littlejohn & Domenici, 2007). The differen- which have conflict ideologies, group mem- ces in perception are the main conditions for bers who are free to organize conflicts and conflicts (Putnam, 2013). have members who are committed and Establishing communication among communicate with others (Dahrendorf stakeholders to manage conflicts at a latent 1986). Conflict is most likely to occur when stage by identifying potential conflicts in quasi-group between coordinated groups the early stages prevent escalation (Kapelus are aware of their interests objectively and et al. 2011). Open communication is often collectively so as to form conflict groups avoided by those who win the competition. (Turner, 1998). Conflict becomes apparent Communication serves as a mechanism that depending on the communication process ensures social equality in a group (Leibbrand UNNES JOURNALS Komunitas: International Journal of Indonesian Society and Culture 11(1) (2019):85-98 87 & Saaksvuori, 2012). The space for dialogue conflicts in the North Coast of Serang Re- should be opened and free from the domi- gency is created? How is the communicati- nance of power so that open communicati- on among the conflicting parties in the rela- on creates intersubjective communication tion of coastal resource utilization conflict? in which the community and the power of How is the effectiveness of communication interests reach consensus through non-vi- and conflict resolution? How do the com- olent arguments (Susan, 2009). Consensus munication strategy for managing potential is achieved by attaining mutual understan- conflict and its escalation reach consensus ding (Kincaid & Rogers, 1981). based on convergence of interests? This re- In the conflict of fisheries resources in search is expected to produce novelties na- Bangladesh, communication played an im- mely analyzing natural resource conflicts portant role in building consensus among from the perspective of development com- opposing parties in various settings. Com- munication. The research focuses on com- munication between stakeholders is the munication practices in managing conflict main key in the process of understanding in the coastal resources utilization, commu- each other, managing and resolving con- nication interaction of the conflicting par- flicts (Jahan et al. 2009). Communication is ties, various communication efforts in con- not the only method of conflict resolution, flict solutions and their effectiveness as well but the absence of communication between as producing communication strategies to parties will increase conflict (Adejimola, manage conflict potential. 2009). Open communication among con- flicting groups reduces the output of conflict and encourages disputants to work together RESEARCH METHOD to win the disputes (Leibbrand