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| West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan engages in dialogue with SOLMADAPAR student activists during a peaceful rally on National Farmers Day at the Governor’s Office courtyard. |
West Kalimantan Governor Drs. H. Ria Norsan, M.M., M.H., accompanied by Provincial Secretary Dr. Harisson, M.Kes., and Head of the West Kalimantan Regional Office of the National Land Agency (BPN), Mujahidin Maruf, welcomed a peaceful demonstration from student activists under the banner of Solidaritas Mahasiswa dan Pemuda Pengemban Amanat Rakyat (SOLMADAPAR) on Wednesday (Sept 24, 2025). The action took place at the forecourt of the Governor’s Office in Pontianak, marking National Farmers Day, where students voiced support and demands for the welfare of farmers in West Kalimantan.
During the rally, Governor Ria Norsan agreed to sit down with several student representatives from various universities across the province. The group, which also identified themselves as the Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI) of West Kalimantan, held an open-floor discussion with the governor, sitting cross-legged in front of the office. “Today is the right moment to speak up for our farmers. We expect the government to seriously pay attention to farmers’ welfare in West Kalimantan,” said one student representative during the dialogue.
The demands submitted echoed SPI’s national agenda, including resolving ongoing agrarian conflicts faced by farmers, turning state forest and abandoned state land into objects of agrarian reform (TORA), and revising Presidential Regulation No. 62 of 2023 on Agrarian Reform to strengthen food sovereignty. Other points included establishing a National Agrarian Reform Council and a Farmers’ Welfare Council, revising laws on food, forestry, and cooperatives, strengthening indigenous rights through specific legislation, and repealing the Job Creation Law, which students argue worsens agrarian inequality.
On a regional scale, students called for SPI’s inclusion in the West Kalimantan Agrarian Reform Task Force, the drafting of a local regulation (Perda) on agrarian reform implementation, and the allocation of provincial funds to support reform programs. They also urged the government to stop intimidation, criminalization, and discrimination against local farmers.
Responding to these demands, Governor Ria Norsan emphasized that the central government has already shown strong support for agriculture. He highlighted President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Bengkayang last June, where the President harvested corn later exported abroad. “The President also provided direct assistance to farmers. I myself accompanied the Deputy Minister of Agriculture during harvests in Ketapang and Kayong Utara. So, central government support for agriculture is very significant,” Ria Norsan explained.
Regarding agrarian reform, he noted that he currently serves as the Chairman of the Agrarian Reform Task Force in West Kalimantan, with the head of the provincial BPN office as the daily chairman. “We will evaluate further. I also invite student representatives to hold a special dialogue session, so that unresolved issues can be discussed openly and lead to better policies supported by all parties,” the governor added.
The peaceful demonstration concluded with an agreement to hold follow-up discussions between students and the provincial government. The meeting is expected to build stronger collaboration in addressing farmers’ challenges and advancing agrarian reform in West Kalimantan.