Aceh Singkil, IIndonesia | 1kabar.com October 15, 2025,A wave of resistance has emerged from the westernmost edge of Indonesia as the indigenous communities of Aceh Singkil call on Aceh Governor H. Muzakir Manaf (known as “Mualem”) to fulfill his public commitment to re-survey disputed land titles (HGU) across the region.
Local residents claim that their customary (adat) lands have been systematically seized by large corporations, particularly in palm oil plantations, without community consent, fair compensation, or adherence to Aceh’s legal and cultural frameworks.
From behind prison walls, respected indigenous leader Yakarim Munir has become a powerful voice in the resistance. In a written statement sent via legal representatives, he declared:
> “Customary land is not a commodity—it is our identity. I speak from behind bars because I cannot stay silent while our ancestral land is being plundered in the name of investment.”
The Aceh Singkil communities are demanding that Governor Muzakir Manaf:
1. Immediately conduct a transparent re-survey of all disputed HGU lands in Aceh Singkil,
2. Issue formal instructions to district governments to form independent review teams including adat leaders, academics, and representatives of the Wali Nanggroe (Aceh’s traditional governance council),
3. End all forms of criminalization and intimidation against indigenous land defenders and environmental activists.
This land conflict is drawing attention from national media, human rights organizations, and global environmental watchdogs as another example of land grabbing and systemic marginalization of indigenous peoples in Southeast Asia.
