Administrative Authority and Community Land Rights Protection in Military Land Reservation: A Legal Analysis of Riau Governor Decree No. KPTS.297/III/2011
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53905/Veritas.v1i01.2Keywords:
gubernatorial authority, land rights, land conflict, legal certainty, agrarian law, public interest, administrative lawAbstract
Purpose of the study: Land conflicts involving state institutions and communities represent a persistent challenge in Indonesian legal governance. This study examines the prolonged and unresolved land dispute between residents of Kelurahan Maharatu and Kelurahan Sidomulyo Timur, Marpoyan Damai District, Pekanbaru, and the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) Pekanbaru — a conflict rooted in the issuance of Riau Governor's Decision Number KPTS.297/III/2011 on the revision of land reservation for TNI-AU Pekanbaru's expansion, which has remained without resolution for over 35 years. This study aimed to (1) analyse the scope and legitimacy of the Governor of Riau's authority in issuing Decision KPTS.297/III/2011; (2) examine the adequacy of the legal basis applied in the Decree; and (3) assess the extent of legal protection afforded to community land rights under this Decree.
Methodology: A normative juridical (doctrinal legal) research design was employed. Primary legal materials included the 1945 Indonesian Constitution, Law No. 5/1960 on Agrarian Basic Regulations (UUPA), Law No. 32/2004 on Regional Governance, and the Decree itself. Secondary materials comprised scholarly texts, refereed journals, and legal commentaries. Tertiary sources included legal dictionaries and encyclopedias. Data were analysed using normative qualitative analysis grounded in theories of rule of law, governmental authority, public interest, agrarian law, justice, legal certainty, and utility.
Results: Decision KPTS.297/III/2011 was issued without a valid legislative mandate, in response to a unilateral petition from the TNI-AU Pekanbaru Commander, rather than to implement an existing regional regulation (Perda). The Decree contains multiple legal defects: inconsistency with the laws cited as its legal basis, temporal invalidity, substantive errors, and failure to provide clear compensation mechanisms. Its implementation has resulted in denial of land certificates, building permits, and transfer rights, constituting unilateral state coercion against resident communities.
Conclusions: The Governor's Decree violates principles of rule of law, legal certainty, justice, and the protection of community land rights guaranteed under UUPA and the 1945 Constitution. The study recommends immediate legal review and revocation of Decision KPTS.297/III/2011, expedited land compensation proceedings, and institutional reform to prevent recurrence of such regulatory overreach.
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