Conversion of public land and tenure security in Lampong, Indonesia

Pesisir Adat communities and migrants from Java Island and other part of Sumatera live in the west part of Lampung province, particularly in the area that located from the north of Pagar Bukit (sub-district of North Pesi sir) to South Seashore (sub-district of Bengkunat), between Bukit Barisan Mountains and Hindia Ocean. The pesisir adat/community or sometimes called orang Kroe, consists of 16 (sixteen) margas so called as penyimbang adat 16 margas. LeBar in Djalins 2002 defines this pesisir adat community as Orang Abung. On another hand, this community cl aim that their ancestors were came from the Skala Brak area in sub-district of Balik B ukit who lives there since 450 years ago (Hadikusuma 1988). The intensive migration of peopl e in this area was begun in 1980’s. It was started when 3 Balinese families were invited by this adat community to kill wild pigs that often destroyed community paddy fields and gardens. The presence of these Balinese families afterwards has been followe d by peoples of Javanese, Batak, Sudanese, Semendo and Bugies. This rapid migrati on increased the population of newcomers to be 60% of overall of people who live in this area. The newcomers acquire the land from trading that legalized by the statement of Land Informati on Letter (SKT) that issued by the Head of Village without involving the Chief of Adat/Marga (Sai Batin). Unlike in Marga Tenumbang and Ngambur, coastal adat community of Marga Bengkunat still strongly recognizes adat law. The Chief of Adat plays an important role on any land disputes. Generally, the land use and ownership status under adat law more rely on trust instead of formal relationship. These communities cultivate mixed plantation by planting lada and damar (shores javanica) besides obtaining large irrigated paddy fields surrounding their kampong. Damar cultivation, for obtaining its sap pu rpose, has been practiced by the adat communities since 100-200 years ago. This cultivation was stimulated when the adat communities found difficultie s to obtain the sap of damar batu from nature forest and there were high demand of sap of damar at that moment. Sap of damar play an important role as the leading export commodity since 17th Century (Boomgard, 1998).

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