PONTIANAK, thekabarnews.com—A letter from West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan asking regents and mayors to review local land-clearing rules has drawn objections from social media users. They fear the policy could overlook traditional farming practices and customary land concerns.

The letter says Governor Regulation No. 103/2020, which governed agricultural land clearing based on local wisdom, “is no longer in force.” Therefore, it cannot serve as the legal basis for new district or city regulations.

It asks local governments to adjust rules that cite it. It also directs them to take steps to revoke the affected local legal instruments.

West Kalimantan Provincial Regulation No. 1/2022 had already revoked it when the bylaw took effect on May 30, 2022. This is according to the BPK’s legal database.

That distinction matters: the governor’s letter seeks to address local rules built on an obsolete legal basis. Meanwhile, the 2022 provincial bylaw itself remains listed as in force.

Norsan issued the letter following a September 16 coordination meeting on regional regulations related to forest and land fire (karhutla) control. It says the Home Ministry had inventoried and reviewed local provisions governing limited or controlled burning.

The governor asked affected administrations to align their rules with Indonesia’s 2009 environmental protection law. He also referenced Presidential Instruction No. 11/2026 and other applicable standards.

Several comments from netizens questioning how the review will affect farming communities.

“We have been farmers for generations. What right do they have to prohibit it?” wrote an account named Melda New.

The commenter also raised concerns about ancestral land and companies. Those claims have not been independently verified.

Another account, Ardiyanti Kiki, argued that “stopping land clearing by burning is not a solution” and called for more agroforestry and tree planting.

Arief Saluan focused on the cultural importance of land, writing, “Land is not merely a ‘place to live,’ but a space where identity is formed.”

The governor’s letter follows a national push to prevent forest and land fires. In August, the Environment Ministry asked regional governments to consider a moratorium on rules that permit land clearing by fire. It cited risks to health and the environment.

For affected communities, the immediate question is which district or city rules will change. The governor’s letter does not list every regulation under review or say that any district has completed a repeal.

Publishing those details—and explaining how farmers can clear land safely under the rules that remain in force—would help residents understand the practical effect of the directive.