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'Bojonegoro' (older spelling 'Bodjanegara') is a regency in East Java, Indonesia, about 110 km west of Surabaya. Bojonegoro is located in the inland part of northern Java plain, in the banks of the Bengawan Solo river, the largest river in Java.
Previously known as a major producer of teak and tobacco, Bojonegoro is currently becoming the focus of attention in Indonesia as a new petroleum has been found in this area. This oil find in Bojonegoro is the biggest oil discovery in Indonesia in three decades^[1] and one of the biggest reserve in Indonesia.^[2]

Contents

Geography

History

Demography and culture

Samin people

Sports

Economy

Agriculture

Forestry

Petroleum

References

External links

Geography

Across the eastern border of Bojonegoro is the Lamongan Regency, to the north is Tuban while to the south is Ngawi, Madiun, Nganjuk and Jombang. Blora is located to the west, in Central Java.
Bojonegoro occupies an area of 934 km². Much of it consists of low plains along the river Bengawan Solo, with hilly areas in sothern part of the Regency. As with most of Java, the Bojonegoro landscape is dominated with rice paddy fields. In the Bojonegoro area, the Bengawan Solo river changes its course from northward to eastward.
Climate in Bojonegoro is tropical with six months of rainy and dry seasons. Seasonal conditions are often very contrasting. In the rainy season, rain will fall almost daily while in dry season, rain will not come for months, causing widespread drought and water shortages.^[3] This problems have been compounded with the lost of forest and other green areas. Teak forest was once covering much of Bojonegoro but has since considerably reduced due to over exploitation.
Flood in rainy season of 2007 recently is much bigger than in previous years. Bengawan Solo river's water level is rise due to heavy rain, especially in upper valley in Central Java, forcing Gajahmungkur dam there to be opened. The resulting flood make 15 district submerged, with water as high as 1.5 m, and displacing 2,715 families. A further 2.544 ha rice fields is damaged. But fortunately no casualties are reported. ^[4]

History

The history of Bojonegoro is unseparated with the history of Java itself. The area near the Solo River is very fertile and has been settled since early history by the Javanese. However, these settlements never developed into a major urban center, except for several coastal cities. Rather, villages are dependent on a weekly market which rotates among them and ''bakul'' (traveling pedlers) who collect and distribute agricultural and manufactured products among the villages.
The Bengawan Solo river played a major role in the development of these settlement. It acted as source of water and fertile soil, and a means of transportation. A set of copper plates of the Ferry Charter (1358 C.E.) lists over twenty ferry crossing on the lower stretch of the Bengawan Solo river, downstream from Bojonegoro. Inland settlement like this would trade agricultural products via trading centre in coastal cities, like neighbouring Tuban, for spices from Spice Islands, ceramics from China and other commodities.^[5]
The authority over these settlements, including the territory of modern-day Bojonegoro, was held by the dominant power in central Java, and later east Java, the kingdoms of Mataram, Kediri, Singhasari and Majapahit.
As a territory in northern Java, the area of modern-day Bojonegoro was one of the first to accept Islam. The Bengawan Solo river area and most of Java would became part of the Sultanate of Demak and its successor the Sultanate of Mataram.
The modern regency (''kabupaten'') was founded on October 20 1677 with Mas Toemapel as the first Regent (''Bupati''), with capital in Jipang village (currently around Padangan subdistrict in the western most part of Bojonegoro). It was founded as a response to the loss of Mataram's coastal area to the Dutch East India Company. Bojonegoro than became important border town. In 1725 the capital was moved to its current location.

After Dutch complete takeover of Java in the 18th and 19th centuries, Bojonegoro and the neighbouring regencies of Tuban and Lamongan were administered under Bojonegoro Residency, with a Dutch Resident in Bojonegoro town. The resident acted as an advisor and supervisor to the regents, positions which were held by native Javanese nobility (''priyayi'').
During Dutch rule, tobacco and maize was introduced from the Americas, which would later became major commodities in Bojonegoro.
In 1894, the trans-Java railroad, which linked Batavia and Surabaya and passed through Bojonegoro, was finished, increasing transportation and improving the teak industry. Urbanisation also progressed under Dutch rule.
Since the Indonesian National Revolution, Bojonegoro regency is administered as part of East Java province, with RMT Suryo, the grandson of the former Bojonegoro regent as its first governor. in 1968 the first non-nobility Regent was elected. The current regent is Santoso, a former army officer. In 2008, Bojonegoro people will elect its first directly-elected Regent, following an amendment in the constitution.

Demography and culture

Bojonegoro regency has a population of 1,156,652 people (2000 census). Most are ethnic Javanese, with sizable minority of etnic Chinese, Balinese and other Indonesian ethnic gropus. Most Javanese are Muslim, with small number belonging to various sects of Christianity. Ethnic Chinese follow various religions, often with an aspect of syncretism with traditional Chinese culture.
Most of the population work as farmers or foresters. Many still live in poverty, especially in southern part of the regency, where the soil is less fertile.
The major population centre is Bojonegoro town, located on the southern bank of Bengawan Solo river.

Samin people

One of distinctive communuities in Bojonegoro is Samin people. They were ethnically indistinguishable from other Javanese people; however, they follow a unique communalism movement. Samin people are follower of Surosentiko Samin, a local farmer who preached pacifist resistance to Dutch colonial rule in the 1890s.^[6] Samin was incited by acquisition of local teak forest by Dutch colonial authority. Dutch officials refused access to the forest for local people, as it was claimed as Dutch property. Rather than rising in a violent uprising, Samin taught peaceful resistance, such as refusing to pay taxes to the colonial authority, and continuing to take teak from the forest as they had for generations.^[7]
Samin people are nominally Muslim, but don't practice many Islamic rituals, such as fasting or regular prayer. Rather, they emphasize the spiritual aspect, as well as honesty, modesty and simplicity.^[8] In this, they are similar to Kejawen followers.
Currently Samin people reside in the southwestern part of Bojonegoro, in the hearts of its teak forest. Samin people are also found in Blora Regency, Central Java, across the river Solo.

Sports

Footbal (soccer) and badminton are the most popular sports in Bojonegoro. The regency footbal team, Persibo Bojonegoro, is currently playing in the First Division of Liga Indonesia. Their home stadium is Sudirman Stadium, Bojonegoro.^[9] They were promoted from the Second Division after winning it in 2004.
Badminton was either introduced by Dutch colonists or, more likely, by etnic Chinese. Ethnic Chinese in Sumatra introduced badminton from Malaya by inviting Chinese players in early 1930s. In the mid-1930s, a player from Batavia, Oei Kok Tjoan, visited cities in East Java on a number of occasions, raising the popularity of badminton. The game began to penetrate the small towns such as Tuban, Bojonegoro, Malang, and Jember, and became one of the most popular sports in Java.^[8]
However, the sport with the highest achievement in Bojonegoro is archery. Two of its archers, Puspitasari Rina Dewi^[11] and I Gusti Nyoman Puruhito Praditya^[12] have competing for many national and international archery competitions, including the 2004 Summer Olympics. As of October 2006, Puspitasari Rina Dewi is ranked 39th in the Recurve Women category with 59.95 points^[13] Meanwhile Praditya is ranked 52 in the Compound Man category with 41.2 points.^[14] Other Bojonegoro archers have also dominated national archery championships.

Economy

Agriculture

Agriculture has been the regency's main product. The Bengawan Solo river provides fertile farming area for rice. The main crops are rice and tobacco, as well as maize. In 1984, the area of maize harvested reached 67,056 hectares with yields ranging from 1 to 1.28 t/ha.^[15] A typical farmer grows rice in the rainy season, when water is abundant, and tobacco or maize in dry season. There is high risk in agriculture because of seasonal uncertainty. Rice growing will fail if the rainy season ends before its time, and tobacco growing will fail if rain comes early.
Bojonegoro is one of the biggest producers of tobacco in Indonesia, with total value of Rp 1,2 trillion (around US$100 million) and employing 57 percent of workforce.^[16] The majority of tobacco planted is Virginia varieties. However, Bojonegoro tobacco suffers from a high proportion of Cl,^[17] and uncertain rainfall. Most tobacco is used to make clove cigarettes (''kretek'').

Forestry

Bojonegoro is also famous for its hardwood tree (teak) production. There is an annual ''Bojonegoro Teak Fair'' in late January to early February where local craftsmen display their products. Teak is high quality wood which strong and durable. Teak is mainly used in shipbuilding and furniture making. Teak forestry forms an inseparable part of life for many Bojonegoro residents. A teak cutter is called ''blandong'' in the local dialect.
However, teak forestry has faced a major problem in illegal logging, as with other parts of Indonesia. In 2001 alone, the area looted covered 3,000 ha; looters stole an estimated 27,000 trees. The regional police reported impounding 550 large trucks of stolen timber, approximately 2,000 m³, with an estimated local market value of total of US $1,000,000. Several riots has happened when tension arise from teak claims and when police tried to enforce the law on local thieves. There are even allegation that some riot was provocated by organized crime.^[18]
These riots were the worst during the period of turmoil between president Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri in 2001. However, after that situation calmed, enforcement became better, but illegal logging is still a significant problem, with police and bureaucratic officials often accused of cooperating with timber thieves.

Petroleum

The recent discovery of oil and gas fields in the area is providing new economic opportunities.
The oil/gas fields are found in several locations, including Banyu Urip, Alas Dara, Jambaran, Sukowati and Cendana. The Banyu Urip oil and gas field has detected oil reserves of over 250 million barrels, with peak production of about 165,000 - 170,000 barrels per day, accounting for 20 percent of the present national crude oil production.^[19]
The main exploration started officially when a cooperative contract signed on September 17 2005 with Mobil Cepu Limited, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil as main operator. A Joint Operation Agreement (JOA) between state oil company Pertamina was signed in March 2006. Pertamina and ExxonMobil concluded 30-year production-sharing contract in which each company would share 45 percent interest in the block. The remaining 10 percent would go to the local governments.^[20] Foreign companies, mainly from China, have started to invest in Bojonegoro in various projects related with the planned exploration and exploitation of the Cepu Block oil fields with total value of US$8 million.^[21] According to the former minister and ambassador to the United States, Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, Tuban and Bojonegoro would resemble Texas, because of its gas and oil resources.^[22]
Communities in Bojonegoro has benefited from community development projects by foreign companies like ExxonMobil, which have built houses of worship, schools, and infrastructure.^[23] However, oil production is becoming a source of controversy.
A number of Regional Representatives Council (''Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat'', DPD) members grouped in the People's Front for the Salvation of the Cepu Block (GRPBC) have called for the cancellation of the Joint Operation Agreement (JOA) between the government and ExxonMobil on the Cepu Block oil fields. They demand it to be cancelled because the agreement had been signed "in an atmosphere rife with suspected corruption, collusion and nepotism, and on the basis of a public lie" and will make the Indonesian government lose US$1.32 billion of revenue.^[24] Oil drilling has also caused several accidents. On August 31 2006, a gas leak in Sukowati-5 oil well released hydrogen sulfide gas to residential areas. At least 16 villagers had to be treated for suffocation because of the gas inhalation.^[25]
The environmental effects of the oil industry have became a concern of Bojonegoro residents. Some villagers claimed the presence of the oil well has not caused any improvement of the local economy and the village. Since the exploration of the Sukowati oil well in an area measuring five hectares in July 2005, the village's land has become drier and harvest significantly reduced.^[26] There is also concern that income distribution inequality could cause social unrest, when compounded with the Indonesian notorious reputation of corruption.

References

1. Indonesia: Energy Highlight March 2006
2. Dari Humpuss ke ExxonMobil
3. Water shortages spread
4. Bojonegoro Siaga III-Kritis Hadapi Luapan Bengawan Solo
5.
6. 2. The Malayan Archipelago, 1890
7. Rich Forests, Poor People - Resource Control and Resistance in Java, , Nancy Lee, Peluso, University of California Press, ,
8.
9. Stadiums in Indonesia
10.
11. http://www.archeryworldcup.org/RESULTS/archer_update.asp?id=3729&action=
12. http://www.archeryworldcup.org/RESULTS/archer_update.asp?id=3729&action=,
13. [3].
14. [4]
15. Maize Production in Java, , Aman, Djauhari, Intl Specialized Book Service Inc, ,
16. Kabupaten Bojonegoro
17. Cl content problem of virginia tobacco grown in Vertisols in Bojonegoro
18. Conflict Timber: Dimensions of the Problem in Asia and Africa, , James, Jarvie, USAID, ,
19. Cepu Block development to create 3-8 billion dollars in multiplier effect
20. Pertamina, Exxon to jointly run oil block
21. Seven foreign companies ready invest in Bojonegoro
22. Tuban-Bojonegoro Will Resemble Texas
23. Exxonmobil helping community development in Bojonegoro
24. DPD members call for cancellation of Cepu Block agreement
25. Sukowati oil well belches gas (H2S) kick again
26. Farmers want review of environmental impact analysis on Sukowati oil well

External links

★ Official site