Mapping and Handling of Communal Land Conflict at Northern Sumatera

This paper discusses the main issues regarding mapping and handling land conflicts in North Sumatra. The information obtained in this paper illustrates the existence of complicated issues regarding land ownership based on State regulations and communal ownership (tanah ulayat). The complicated issue of land ownership in North Sumatra refers to the overlapping laws relating to agrarian affairs which are not based on the 1945 Constitution and the 1960 BAL. This has resulted in lands being occupied by the community, especially small communities in the countryside and far inland, which have become unprotected, vulnerable to land grabbing justified in the name of development and investment. Land disputes which often arise in the society are partly due to struggle over land rights, resulting in the destruction of social relations. Disputes regarding indigenous lands, including communal lands, often occur among the tribal communities. The causes of communal land disputes include, among others: unclear boundaries of customary land, lack of awareness among indigenous communities, lack of Tribal chief’s role in the tribal law communities.