Deconstruction of Local Government Supervisory Function in Illegal Mining Enforcement: A Case Study of Berau Regency

Abstract

After the enactment of Law No. 3/2020 on Minerba, the authority of district governments in mining supervision and licensing was abolished, creating an imbalance between formal authority and political burden at the local level. This research analyzes how the local government's oversight function of illegal mining (PETI) is exercised, negotiated, or ignored in local political practices in Berau Regency. The method used is qualitative with a case study approach, using primary data from interviews and secondary data from official documents and local media coverage. The results show that PETI supervision in Berau is not ideal. DLHK cannot take action because PETI perpetrators do not have an IUP, so they are not recorded in the formal monitoring system. The absence of official reporting to law enforcement officials reinforces the practice of structured omission. In addition, there are indications of the involvement of unscrupulous officials and economic actors in power compromise. Communities and students responded with resistance, showing a crisis of local legitimacy. In conclusion, the supervision of illegal mining in the regions is not only an administrative issue but also an arena for political conflicts, power relations, and the failure of effective resource governance in the era of decentralization.