The stalls on Sanglen Beach were demolished, residents were shocked by intimidation and injustice

KABARJAWA-Demolition of stalls at Sanglen Beach, Kemadang Village, Whawon Tanjungsari, Tuesday (7/29/2025) began to run.

The authorities dismantled one by one semi -permanent building that was standing on the Sultan Ground (SG) land. The action suddenly triggered the anger and screams of residents, who were members of the Sanglen Merdeka Society.

They carried out the execution after receiving an official letter from the Yogyakarta Keraton Panitikismo Kawedanan Panitik, KRT Suryo Satriyanto.

Demolition of stalls on Sanglen Beach

In a letter numbered 045/KWPK/VII/2025, the Palace emphasized that the stalls were standing on the Sultanate land that already had a Certificate of Ownership No. 02051/Kemadang.

“The land is owned by the Sultanate and is prohibited from being used without permission,” wrote a letter quoted on Tuesday (7/29/2025).

The government utilizes the legal basis in the form of Article 32 of Law Number 13 of 2012 concerning the Privileges of DIY, which calls the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat as a legal entity owner of the SG land. The demolition also refers to DIY Governor Regulation Number 33 of 2017 to carry out emptying.

The letter was an ultimatum of residents to immediately empty the land no later than July 29, 2025. Without compromise, the Regional Government of DIY deployed the executor team and heavy equipment so the deadline was used up.

A number of buildings that are still standing directly flat to the ground. There is no tolerance, no negotiation.

Chunks of wood, zinc, and concrete debris scattered on the coast of Sanglen. Residents can only look at the ruins while holding back anger and tears.

Some people even still had time to repair their stalls before finally being destroyed in front of their eyes.

The Sanglen Merdeka Association of Fighting

Residents who are members of the Sanglen Merdeka Society strongly condemned the actions of the DIY Regional Government. One member of the community, Wastono, voiced his objections openly.

“Our stalls were forcibly dismantled, there was no dialogue room. Even the banners with Sri Sultan HB IX were also damaged,” said Wastono.

He showed the rest of the building debris, which included a threat-pitched sentence: “Unloading ora?” and “IKI Basen then.”

“This is not just control. They damage the buildings that we are repairing. The action shows terror, not legal firmness,” he added.

The Sanglen Merdeka Association feels that the Regional Government of DIY does not provide clarity of solutions or relocation options. They felt they did not get space to explain the existence of a stall that had been the foundation of the family’s economy for years.

Since the last few years, the Sanglen Coast area has become an alternative tourist attraction in Gunungkidul. Its hidden and still natural location makes it the target of tourism investors. Residents suspect the business interests behind this control.

“We are small residents just want to live. If our stalls are torn down, what are our children eat?” asked another stall owner who declined to be named.

Residents demand transparency and justice for SG land management. They asked the DIY and Yogyakarta Palace Government to stop unilateral actions and invite residents to dialogue before taking the next legal steps.

Until this news aired, the Regional Government of DIY has not given an official response to the allegations of intimidation from residents. However, internal sources say that emptying will continue at other points that stand on the land of SG. (EF Linangkung)