ii Contesting Knowledge of Land Access Claims in Jambi, Indonesia Dissertation zur Erlangung des mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Doktorgrades "Doctor rerum naturalium" der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen im Promotionsprogramm Geowissenschaften / Geographie der Georg-August University School of Science (GAUSS) vorgelegt von Rina Mardiana Aus Bandung, Indonesien Göttingen 2017 Betreuungsausschuss: Prof. Dr. Heiko Faust Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Fakultät für Geowissenschaften und Geographie, Geographisches Institut, Abteilung Humangeographie Prof. Dr. Christoph Dittrich Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Fakultät für Geowissenschaften und Geographie, Geographisches Institut, Abteilung Humangeographie Mitglieder der Prüfungskommission Referent: Prof. Dr. Heiko Faust, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Fakultät für Geowissenschaften und Geographie, Geographisches Institut, Abteilung Humangeographie Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Christoph Dittrich, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Fakultät für Geowissenschaften und Geographie, Geographisches Institut, Abteilung Humangeographie Weitere Mitglieder der Prüfungskommission Prof. Dr. Endriatmo Soetarto Bogor Agricultural University, the Faculty of Human Ecology, Department of Communication and Community Development Sciences Prof. Dr. Daniela Sauer Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Abteilung Physische Geographie Dr. Soeryo Adiwibowo Bogor Agricultural University, the Faculty of Human Ecology, Department of Communication and Community Development Sciences Dr. Stefanie Steinebach Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: Montag, 11.07.2016 ii Abstract Land constitutes productive space, as well as a commodity. For this reason, land has become a contestation arena for various interested actors of all scales. The strategists of knowledge construct a wide variety of knowledge frameworks relating to land access claims. This research identifies particular forms of knowledge on land access and examines how knowledge of land access claims is contested. This research will contribute to the debates on knowledge of land access, which have been shaped by historical contexts, political and economic interests, as well as access relations; while land has been contested in the name of livelihoods, economic growth, and power. This research used the multi-sited ethnography approach by following the actors, events, policies and stories within the dimensions of space and time. This research was conducted in the former Asialog forestry concession; specifically, in two places: Bungku Village in Batanghari District and Tanjung Lebar Village in Muaro Jambi District. I have used the term community to specify geographical and population units in my research location. The communities covered were Bungku Indah, Johor Baru, SAD 113, Ujung Aspal, Rantau Rasau, Kunangan Jaya 1, Kunangan Jaya 2, Tanjung Lebar, Portal, Pangkalan Ranjau, Pinang Merah, Alam Sakti, Tanjung Mandiri, Sei Jerat and Ulu Badak. In other words, I researched and analyzed all communities existing in southern Jambi to ensure a holistic, whole and complete coverage of the formation process of the Bungku and Tanjung Lebar villages. Throughout 2012-2016, I interviewed a total of 187 community scale actors. I also carried out repeated structured interviews of 170 academics and scientists, government bureaucrats, and representatives of NGOs/mass organizations. In general, I conclude that knowledge constructions relating to land access claims can be classified into four categories: development knowledge, open access regime knowledge, adat land knowledge, and agrarian reform knowledge. Knowledge of access claims to land is meant to result in the establishment of territories of various scales. Development knowledge from the state will result in the form of state territorialization of various kinds, such as concession territories and conservation/restoration territories. Whereas other knowledge can be utilized to form local territories that are constructed by communities accessing land. This formation of territories is dynamic, and determined by knowledge and access relation dynamics. Finally, the answer to the question of who will come out as the most powerful party in defending territorial claims, whether for forest territorialization or village territorialization, is very dependent on the knowledge being employed by the access relation actors Contesting Knowledge of Land Access Claims in Jambi, Indonesia iii . iv Table of Contents Abstract..................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................v List of Figures.......................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... viii List of Appendices.................................................................................................................. viii Acknowledgements................................................................................................................... ix Map of Research Location....................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1- Introduction .......................................................................................................1 1.1. Background.......................................................................................................................1 1.2. Theoretical Consideration.................................................................................................2 1.2.1. The Strategists of Knowledge...........................................................................................2 1.2.2. Access Relations...............................................................................................................6 1.2.3. Knowledge Contestation...................................................................................................7 1.3. A Note on Methods...........................................................................................................9 1.4. The Dissertation Chapters in Brief .................................................................................17 CHAPTER 2 - Jambi Context.................................................................................................21 2.1. The Ecology of Jambi and Batanghari River ..................................................................21 2.2. Territory and Authority Expansion.................................................................................24 2.3. Commodities...................................................................................................................28 2.4. Ethnic Heterogeneity, Agrarian Matters and Demography.............................................32 CHAPTER 3 - Reformation and the Culmination of Open Access Regime: Power and Authority Formation ...................................................................39 3.1 Endless Concessions in Southern Jambi .........................................................................39 3.1.1. PT Asialog Forest Concession........................................................................................43 3.1.2. Land Cultivation Rights – Palm Oil................................................................................45 3.1.3. Industrial Timber Estate – PT Wanakasita Nusantara and PT Agronusa Alam Sejahtera.........................................50 3.1.4. Ecosystem Restoration Concession - PT Restorasi Ekosistem Indonesia.......................51 3.2 Batin Sembilan Adat Community and Their Land .........................................................52 3.3 1998 Reformation: State Withdrawal versus Grass Roots Emergence ...........................64 3.4 Construction of Adat Identity and Authority ..................................................................72 CHAPTER 4 - Village Expansion and Its Forms of Knowledge: The Dynamics of Power and Authority ........................................................79 4.1 Bungku Case: From Resettlement to Settlement Expansion...........................................80 4.1.1 Johor Baru: Growth Center and Pioneer of Bungku Expansion .....................................83 4.1.2 Bungku Indah: Community Forest and Land Transfer in Tahura...................................87 4.1.3 Rantau Rasau Community: Land Opening Pioneer Community ....................................89 4.1.4 Camp Gunung Community: Kunangan Jaya 2 and the Golden Triangle Concession..................................................95 4.1.5 Camp Gunung Community: Kunangan Jaya 1 and the Trans Swakarsa Mandiri - Initiative.....................................100 4.1.6 SAD 113 Community: Adat Land Reclaiming .............................................................104 4.1.7 Ujung Aspal Community: Adat Land Claim, To Whom is it for?................................109 4.2 Tanjung Lebar Case: From Resettlement to Settlement Expansion..............................114 Contesting Knowledge of Land Access Claims in Jambi, Indonesia v 4.2.1 Pangkalan Ranjau Community: Forest Fire, Land Transfer and Oil Palms..................118 4.2.2 Pinang Merah Community: