Eyewitness – KUBU KOPI
The Momentum of National Farmers’ Day and the 66th Anniversary of the Basic
Agrarian Law (UUPA No. 5/1960) Must Serve as a Reminder That the Agrarian Reform Movement is the People’s Power to Escort and Ensure the Deliberation, Enactment, and Implementation of the Agrarian Reform Law Can Realize Genuine Agrarian Reform.
​In commemoration of National Farmers’ Day and the 66th Anniversary of UUPA No. 5 of 1960, KPA Bali, in collaboration with Forum Peduli Bali, hosted a public discussion themed “Agrarian Emergency: Yeh Mata Ring Gumi Bali” (Tears in the Land of Bali) today.
​The speakers at this public discussion featured legal academics, legal practitioners, Balinese socio-cultural observers, and representatives from farmers’ organizations directly engaged with on-the-ground agrarian conflict cases in Bali.
The commemoration of National Farmers’ Day, which falls annually on September 24, feels different in 2026 compared to previous years. At the national level, the House of Representatives (DPR-RI) is currently deliberating the Agrarian Reform Draft Bill as a priority agenda in national legislation, where the national KPA organization is also actively involved in providing critical inputs and concepts to the legislature.
Regional Coordinator of KPA Bali, Ni Made Indrawati, S.H., explained to the press that the public discussion themed on Bali’s Agrarian Emergency is intended to gather inputs from residents, communities, and civil society organizations concerned with agrarian issues in Bali. These insights will later be voiced at the national level to provide feedback to the legislature, advocating for public justice—especially for smallholders who have yet to achieve genuine agrarian reform justice.
​Indrawati added that the current complex agrarian situation in Bali cannot be separated from the negative impacts of pro-capital mass tourism policies.
The capitalistic orientation of mass tourism in Bali promoted by the government—such as positioning Bali as a World Financial Center, prioritizing development funds for Special Economic Zones (SEZ), and various National Strategic Projects—has fueled agrarian conflict potential and further widened land ownership inequality in Bali.
These pro-investor policies are deeply ironic, as Balinese tourism and culture depend heavily on land as the primary identity of an agrarian society, forming the foundation of Balinese culture and customs.
Under this highly capitalistic development model, farmers—as the primary actors and supporters of agrarian culture—are not being strengthened or supported in securing land ownership. Instead, they are increasingly marginalized, weakened, silenced, and distanced from the ideals of genuine agrarian reform, which emphasizes structural justice for smallholders and tenant farmers.
​In addition to Indrawati, who addressed agrarian conflicts and debates in Bali and nationally, including updates on the Agrarian Reform Draft Bill, other speakers raised the following issues:
• ​Nengah Kisid (Representative of the Buleleng Farmers Union) presented the material and experiences of farmers in conflict, raising The Aspirations of Farmers Regarding the State’s Presence for Agrarian Justice.
• ​Dr. Made Pria Dharsana, S.H. (Agrarian Law Academic and Land Practitioner) delivered a presentation on The Impact of the Land Bank on Resolving Agrarian Conflicts and Land Redistribution for the People/Farmers.
• ​Ni Nengah Budawati, S.H., M.H. (Director of LBH Women Crisis Center) presented on The Position of Women in the Vortex of Agrarian Conflict in Bali.
• ​Agung Alit (Activist and Balinese Socio-Cultural Observer) presented on Anxiety Over the Future Direction of Bali’s Development, particularly regarding Bali’s history under the hegemony of mass tourism development models, which began with the 1965–1966 mass killings tragedy.
The public discussion, moderated by Nyoman Mardika from Forum Peduli Bali, was attended by around 50 participants from various backgrounds, including farmer representatives who are survivors of agrarian conflicts across several Agrarian Reform Priority Locations (LPRA) in Bali.
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Reporter : Daniel Herry
