‘This is our home’: The women fighting a company’s land claim on Indonesia’s Pari Island

But what is less known about Pari Island and Asmania’s group is that underlying its activities is a separate long-running dispute over land ownership on the island.

In 2014, PT Bumi Pari Asri – a company that focuses on land and property development – claimed rights over a large part of Pari Island.

Islanders and rights groups have challenged the process through which land ownership certificates and right-to-build permits were issued to the company. 

Slamet Huzaini, field supervisor of PT Bumi Pari Asri, told CNA that all the certificates were obtained legally from the North Jakarta National Land Agency.

PT Bumi Pari Asri claims to own about 90 per cent of the island, arguing that it has 62 freehold certificates, which in Indonesia is the highest form of land and property ownership, and 14 right-to-build permits, which gives the firm the legal right to construct and own buildings on land that they do not fully own.

The women’s ecological activities and advocacy have expanded against the backdrop of that dispute as they seek to resist what they believe to be corporate encroachment that may lead to the island’s destruction.

For them, planting mangroves and seagrass, cleaning beaches, and even running tourism businesses have helped protect their tiny island from environmental damage, such as erosion, while creating sources of income. 

It is also their way of standing up against PT Bumi Pari Asri.

“Security officers (from the company) used to tell me that I cannot plant plants. But now they don’t dare to stop me anymore because I have a lot of support from Jakarta-based right groups,” Wina claimed. 

Slamet told CNA that the company does not object to the activities conducted by the Pari Island Women’s Group, as long as these are not done on private land owned by the firm. 

“We support the activities undertaken by the women’s groups, especially those related to the environment. However, they shouldn’t be carried out illegally. At the very least, as the owners, we should be informed,” said Slament, claiming that the women are farming on the company’s land. 

“As for the mangroves, those are in the marine area, that does not belong to us,” he added.