Glory P.V Fanggidae, Nitiprabhu Pramatatya, Lina Banun Najin
The penetration of capital from the extractive industry generally triggers vertical conflicts. However, the situation in Bunta Village, North Morowali Regency, Indonesia, reflects a somewhat different pattern, with horizontal conflicts becoming more prominent. These tensions did not emerge spontaneously; rather, they developed through a prolonged process in which successive investments in oil palm plantations and nickel smelter projects generated sharp horizontal conflicts at the grassroots level. This article examines the structural roots of this social fragmentation, arguing that it is not a natural byproduct of economic transition, but rather the result of systematic corporate hegemony. Using a qualitative case study approach involving in-depth interviews and participant observation, this research reveals how corporations circumvent vertical resistance by co-opting local power structures. Village elites and customary institutions have been transformed into ideological apparatuses that propagate a pro-investment “regime of truth” while simultaneously depoliticizing structural violence. Through the discursive stigmatization of anti-mining residents as anti-progress groups, these co-opted actors have successfully diverted agrarian and ecological grievances, forcing marginalized communities into a horizontal war of position against their own people. Although resistance groups seek to construct a counter-hegemony by politicizing ecological crises, such as floods caused by corporate activities, this narrative often collides with the apathy of the broader community, which has been subdued by the illusion of economic growth. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that extractive capitalism sustains capital accumulation not only through state repression but also through the systematic fragmentation of grassroots solidarity, thereby neutralizing resistance from within.