This year's number of agrarian conflicts shows an almost 50 percent increase from the 450 conflicts recorded in 2016.

“Approximately two agrarian conflicts occurred every day in Indonesia this year,” KPA secretary-general Dewi Kartika said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.

The KPA revealed 208 cases, or 32 percent of the total number of agrarian conflicts, were related to the plantation sector, which covers 194,453.27 ha of land, followed by 199, or 30 percent of cases related to property and 94 cases related to infrastructure.

Dewi said in terms of commodities, agrarian conflicts in the plantation sector were dominated by oil palm plantations. Oil palm and its derivative products are among the largest contributors to the country’s export revenue.

“The government’s moratorium on the issuance of new permits for oil palm plantations has not yet reduced or settled agrarian conflict, since it has not yet reviewed the permits issued in the past,” she said.

The KPA also recorded 21 cases of violence involving members of the National Police among the 659 conflicts. The police reportedly arrested people who tried to defend their land without proper procedures, Dewi said.

Vigilante groups were involved in 15 cases of violence and Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel in 11 cases of violence related to agrarian conflicts.

KPA recorded 1,361 agrarian conflicts that took place during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo's tenure. (afr/ebf)

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