Sangiang Not For Sale!

The lives of island residents are caught in the midst of land licensing and legality regimes, eviction of living space, and collusion between capitalist and the state.

The silhouette of Sangiang Island seen from the port of Paku, Anyer, Banten, 31 October 2022. 

FROM PAKU Anyer PORT, when the weather is clear, we can see Sangiang Island in the middle of the Sunda Strait which lies calm and beautiful. However, the serenity and beauty of the island that can be seen from a distance is inversely proportional to the lives of its residents.
The state handed over a large part of the island to a private company 30 years ago to be managed as a "natural tourism park". As a result, all residents living on the island, if possible, were told to leave. And, if they refuse, they are sought after and forced to give up their customary land, intimidated, harassed by invasions of poisonous animals, and even punished.
Since September 2022, we have come to the island to record the testimonies of residents who have been fighting the company for decades. We took a motorboat for about an hour to arrive at Legon Waru pier, the entrance to this island.
A captain named Uwel, a 40 year old man from Sangiang Island, complained that the tarpaulin was tattered over our heads due to being torn apart by a storm a few days ago. "Whatever fate," he said, "it would be better to have the money to buy rice."
“In recent days, the waves have been calm, depending on the time of day and the wind. "If the waves are big, they could be carried to Labuan," said a mother who has two school-age children, referring to a sub-district in Pandeglang Regency, 40 km from Paku Harbor. "Sometimes we have to struggle with rough seas to sell the produce of our fields, and our children who go to school on land."

Mothers and children visit their families on Sangiang Island, Banten, 19 December 2022. ©Teresia May

We went with the mothers and their children, because it happened to be the school holiday season. These children will meet their U'u who lives on the island. U'u is the name for grandfather in Sundanese. Sundanese, Javanese and Lampung dialects are mixed together in their conversation. Administratively, Sangiang Island is included in the Serang Regency, Banten, the western tip of Java Island.
For decades, separated by a strait, families with ties of birth on Sangiang Island would send their children to school on "land", as they called Anyer. So, the opportunity for school holidays is an opportunity for island residents on land to gather in their homeland in Sangiang, chat with families who have been separated for months, and return to farming, sowing and planting crops.​​​​​​​

Excavators in the building concession area of PT Pondok Kalimaya Putih in the Tembuyung area, Sangiang Island, November 5, 2022.

Before the boat moored at the Legon Waru pier, from a distance, we were first greeted by an excavator that appeared among rows of sea cypresses on the white sand. The heavy equipment is located in an area called Tembuyung on the east side of the island.
The excavator indicated the presence of PT Pondok Kalimaya Putih, a resort and property company from Jakarta which was accused of disturbing the peace of the residents of Sangiang Island.

Rows of houses on 4 hectare of waqf land on Sangiang Island. Since the arrival of tourism on the island, many residents have built small stalls and lodging houses on waqf land in front of the entrance to the Legon Waru pier. The increasingly crowded settlements are not just the effect of tourism, but because of wild  pests, squirrels and cobras since 2003 as well as efforts to eviction by the company. He forced residents to gather to form one village, while the elders remained in their respective plantations. 

During the Soeharto era, especially since the 1980s, a wave of problems hit the island's population.
Ignoring the existence of the island's population, which at that time numbered 122 families, the New Order government designated Sangiang Island covering an area of 700 hectares as a cultural heritage area. Then, in 1991, its status became a nature reserve and the surrounding water area became a natural tourist park.
In 1993, through a decision by the Minister of Forestry, a large part of the island was handed over to PT Pondok Kalimaya Putih (PKP) under a eco tourism business permit scheme. In accordance with state permission, PT Kalimaya was given building use rights over a concession area of 248 hectares for 30 years, which will end on March 9 2024.

Company rejection poster in an abandoned house in Legon Waru village, 15 February 2023. ©Teresia May

Zaenab (60) in a photo shoot at her house on Sangiang Island, Banten, November 2 2022. Zaenab has grown up on the island since the 60's. ©Teresia May

As told from generation to generation, for residents of Lampung descent in Banten, Sangiang Island is known as a "gift" from the Lampung and Banten sultanates after they spread Islam in the area around the 17th century. Minak Sangaji, an envoy from the Lampung sultanate, controlled the western part of Banten, including the village Cikoneng with Pak Pekon (four villages), namely Tegal, Bojong, Cikoneng and Salatuhur, then Ujung Kulon and Sangiang Island to the north. After independence, this customary land was not only enjoyed by residents of the Lampung Cikoneng tribe, but also by many immigrants from outside the village. They opened fields and settled on the island.
The 1997 monetary crisis stopped the construction of PKP resort facilities. Residents returned to their activities calmly for a while. Until early 2000, the company resumed its pending work.
Another calamity came; namely the appearance of bedul (wild boars) in 2003 which destroyed food crops, then cobras which roamed settlements a few years later, then squirrels which reduced the coconut harvest.
In the report from the Environmental and Forestry Service (DLHK) Kab. Serang in 2018, land endemic animals on Sangiang Island include; long-tailed monkeys, deer, porcupines, mouse deer, fishing cats, monitor lizards, estuarine crocodiles, pythons. As well as a variety of birds; king prawns, coral egrets, orioles, doves and cangak.

A number of houses were demolished by PKP henchmen in Legon Waru village,  August 17th, 2023.

A baby wild boar crossed a garden that had been abandoned by residents. February 16th, 2023. 

"I was once headbutted by a bedul while I was gardening during the day, until I wrestled with the bedul. "I just lay face down, covered my head, afraid of being stabbed by fangs," said Turiyah. 

“I screamed for help. My husband came with a machete and continued to hack at the bedul's body, but it didn't work at all. After two or three times, it just died.”

Turiah (59) was photographed in the yard of her house on Sangiang Island, Banten, November 2 2022.  ©Teresia May

Andesite rocks are scattered under cliffs on Sepanjang beach, June 30, 2023. Based on information from residents, several rock cliffs have been bombed and dredged by PKP. 

From 1993 - 1997, PKP carried out a lot of natural destruction; starting from bombing hills to dredging andesite rocks, clearing mangrove forests & dredging beach sand for company access roads. Meanwhile, coral reefs along the north coast of the island suffered serious damage due to dredging carried out by PKP to dock LCT carrying excavators and heavy equipment.
The destruction of nature by companies and the destruction of food crops due to wild boar pests have devastated the local economy. Residents' main income now comes from selling coconuts. The average resident cultivates a coconut plantation of 3 - 7 hectares, with a harvest of at least 2,000 coconuts per month, each yielding 1,200 rupiah after harvesting and shipping costs are deducted.

Dead coral reefs are scattered on Tanjung Bajo beach due to dredging carried out by PKP, July 1, 2023.

Engkos Kosasih (64) after collecting atum on the Sepanjang beach, Sangiang Island, Banten, November 2, 2022. Apart from gardening, island residents collect "atum" (plastic waste) that is scattered on the beach, especially during the west monsoon season. In addition to protecting inherited land, the islanders got a little economic value after their food independence was destroyed by swine pests in 2003.

After the emergence of wild boar pests in 2003, residents began collecting atum (plastic waste) that washed up on the beach, this activity became a routine while waiting for the coconut harvest.
In a week, around 25 kg of atum can be collected. For collectors in Bojong village, the price of atum per kilogram varies; Plastic cups are priced at 6,000 rupiah per kg, bottles 3,500 & mixed bottles 2,500 rupiah. Meanwhile, wood waste is used as building materials, firewood and made into charcoal to be sold to Anyer.
Engkos joked, "If 20 years ago I wanted to harvest rice, every night I would love to see the grains of rice swaying in the wind. Now it's nice to see the west wind season, because there will be lots of atum stranded on the beach of Panjang. Hehehe.."

A cobra cub died in the yard of a resident's house on Legon Waru village, November 4 2022.

Rahmat (65) looks for crabs in the mangrove forest, Tembuyung area, June 26, 2023.

Residents walk home after a meeting at the Muhajirin mosque in Legon Waru village, Thursday evening, November 3 2022.

Currently, the residents who remain on the island are facing a kind of conflict and intrigue with their relatives who live in Anyer. The issue is that land compensation even reaches IDR 1 billion.
The Serang Central Bureau of Statistics as of November 2022 recorded that there were 37 families on Sangiang Island. However, since March 2023 20 families have left the island due to the persuasion of people on behalf of the company. Some residents who left said they received compensation of between 50 million and 500 million rupiah
Even though the pressure is getting more intense, every Friday night, the remaining residents of Sangiang Island still gather at the mosque, chanting prayers and conferring to survive. Next to the resistance mosque, a banner was displayed: "Sangiang Island Sea Land is not for sale, if you want to buy it, please contact God."
"We existed before the state and corporations existed, there are traces of our history and customary rights here, if we are forced to leave this island, that history will be the same as being obliterated," said Engkos Kosasih

Engkos family back to their house in Sepanjang beach after Shalat at the Muhajirin mosque in Legon Waru village, Thursday evening, March 31, 2023.

Mustopa (20) thinks to himself at the Legon Waru jetty. “I am confused, why do many residents choose to leave the island. My aunty who had left also kept asking me to come out. I'm annoyed.. While my father's origins are from this island, and he is also buried here,” he grumbled. March 23, 2023.

The landscape of the Serang area was photographed from a local boat on its way to Anyer, November 5, 2022.

Siti Sofianti (17) is pensive on the roof of the boat as she departs from the Legon Waru pier, November 5, 2022. "We are birth until old age live from this island, please don’t forget that” she said. Currently, Sofi is still in grade 3 of high school and lives in Anyer with her brother.

"I'm worried that if all the residents of Sangiang Island leave from here, instigated by the company, what will happen... will they be attracted to just 50 million rupiah?
"I feel at home on the island, on land there is a lot of pollution from factory fumes and vehicles... it's not good there..." complained Sofia (18)

The Green Garden LCT (Landing Craft Tank) ship crossed the Sunda Strait, Anyar, Banten, November 5 2022. When heading ashore, the captain of the ship informed us that this barge had made 3 trips to Sangiang Island today carrying heavy equipment. Islanders witnessed massive PT.PKP development activities which were allegedly due to the HGB deadline ending in 2024.

This story was created in collaboration with Teresia May

You may also like

Peaceful Life in Ancient Economy
Transito
↑Back to Top