Power Asymmetry and Community Resistance in Agrarian Conflict: Contesting Land Rights between Indigenous Communities and PT. Pasangkayu in Central Sulawesi

Abstract

Agrarian conflicts involving indigenous communities and plantation corporations remain a critical challenge to equitable land governance in Indonesia. This study examines how power asymmetries shape agrarian conflict and influence community resistance in the contestation over land rights between 
indigenous communities in Ako Village and PT. Pasangkayu in Central Sulawesi. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, and document analysis involving community members, village authorities, and customary leaders. The findings indicate that the conflict originated from overlapping claims over customary land that had long been occupied by local communities but was subsequently incorporated into the company’s plantation concession area. Unequal access to legal authority, political influence, and institutional resources strengthened the company’s dominant position while constraining the bargaining power of indigenous communities. In response, local communities developed various forms of resistance, including collective protests, land reclamation efforts, and the mobilization of customary institutions to defend territorial rights. Although village governments and customary institutions supported community claims and facilitated dialogue, their 
influence remained limited by broader structural inequalities. This study argues that agrarian conflict reflects not only competing land claims but also struggles over power, recognition, and resource access in contemporary rural Indonesia.