The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

2000-­‐2006. Several members of Tanjung Hanau village usedland near Natai Pambakal for farming, planting crops as wellas fruit and rubber trees. 2006-­‐2007. PT. Kharisma Unggul Centraltama Cemerlangbegins survey activities in an area of roughly 19,500 ha,entering portions of Natai Pambakal without consent fromthe owners. 2006-­‐2008. Community members with farmland in NataiPambakal try to arrange for land certificates (SKT) at theoffice of the village head, making five separate attempts overtwo years, but he fails to respond.February 2007. PT. Kharisma becomes PT.Wana Sawit SuburLestari and continues development activities in an area of14,200 ha based on Decision No. 20 of 2007 by the Bupati ofSeruyan Regency. PT.WSSL is a subsidiary of BEST Group(Borneo Eka Sawit Tangguh). The company begins plantingpalms in Natai Pambakal, which is now officially located inblock Q 28 of PT. WSSL’s concession. Late 2007. The area in Natai Pambakal claimed bycommunity members is estimated at 43 hectares. Out of thistotal, PT. WSSL plants oil palm on 35 hectares by end of 2007,including on land previously planted with rubber trees withhelp from World Education using resources from theReforestation Fund granted by the Indonesian government. July 2008. PT. WSSL pays a local representative, nominallyacting on behalf of one of the community members, Rp.10,000,000 as compensation for 10 ha of land. The receiptand statement letter are signed by the representative, theTanjung Hanau village head, the Hanau Subdistrict head, andthe acting general manager of PT. WSSL. Sept. 2008. PT. WSSL attempts offers to pay for landbelonging to another community member. When thecommunity member attempts to negotiate the price, thecompany threatens to have the village head, the Subdistricthead, and the local representative revoke recognition of hisright to the land. The community member acquiesces andthe company pays him Rp. 14,847,000 for 11 ha of land.Community members send a letter to the company withcopies to the Seruyan Regency, the Seruyan House ofRepresentatives, the chief of the Hanau police, the HanauSubdistrict head, and local media, stating that the land indispute belongs to the them and that the company mustremove the palm trees already planted there.Oct. – Nov. 2008. The company fails to respond to the letter,and instead continues planting trees on the disputed land,this time with the help of policemen armed with guns.Dec. 2008. A second letter is sent to the company withcopies to the chief of the Pembuang Hulu police precinct, thePembuang Hulu Subdistrict head, and the head of TanjungHanau village.January 1, 2009. Fifteen members of Tanjung Hanau villageremove oil palm trees from disputed land for whichcompensation has not been settled.January 2, 2009. Company management, guarded by fourpolicemen and one member of the Indonesian military, meetwith villagers and demand that they stop removing oil palmtrees. The company issues a response letter claiming thatcompensation has already been made for the disputed landand threatening to file a report against community membersin the event of further vandalism to company property.A full list of the conflicts identified during the survey is includedin Table 6 below.41