JAKARTA. On Friday February 27, 2015, there has been a kidnapping farmer named Indra in Lubuk Mandarsah, Tebo, Jambi Province by security forces (URC) of PT. Wira Karya Sakti (WKS) -a subsidiary company of PT. Sinarmas Foresty. The next day, Indra has been found dead in tragic.
This incident is a violation of Human Rights (HAM), especially the fundamental rights of the peasants. “The right to life, association, expression, and access to justice have been violated,” said Henry Saragih, Chairperson of the Indonesian Peasant Union (SPI), in Jakarta, this afternoon (02/03).
“Whatever the reason, the act of violence is unacceptable, let alone to the loss of life,” said Henry again. This case could be related to agrarian conflicts between farmers and PT. WKS has happened chronic in Tebo. At least since 2007, tensions between residents Tebo with PT. WKS related to the expansion of their plantations.
Ironically, the state is often not present in the case of farmers’ rights violations like this Tebo. Local authorities, the police and even the armed forces not quickly defend farmers. Growing areas of power-often used territory guarded security force, even paramilitary thugs. “As happened in Indra and millions of other farmers in the area of agrarian conflict, those who fought for the right to live off the land, from food crops, have to deal directly with the thugs, paramilitaries in the agrarian conflict-almost without protection,” said Henry.
SPI assess agrarian conflict resolution in Indonesia and effort of prevention as well as conflict recovery very far from the fire. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Constitution and the Basic Agrarian Law No. 5/1960 has guaranteed the land to farmers. Mandate was reinforced by Act No. 41 of 2009 on the Protection of Agricultural Land Sustainable agricultural land to ensure food from threats over the expansion of large-scale land use, Act No. 18 Year 2012 on Food which contains the allocation of land and water resources to farmers and Law No. 19 Year 2013 on the Protection and Empowerment of Farmers governing guarantee the rights of farmers, including distributing a maximum of 2 acres of land to farmers. Henry Saragih added again, “Remarkably, the legal instrument even when it is supported by the National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2015-2019 which puts food sovereignty and agrarian reform for the redistribution of the land area of 9.6 million ha to farmers as a priority program”.
But on the field, especially in the areas of agrarian conflict, the country is often not present. In 2014, SPI has been 29 recorded an open conflict that came to the surface, 114 conflicts still raging at the grassroots, and thousands of agrarian conflicts still languishing like iceberg. Of the 143 cases, have fallen victim farmer killed 2 people, 90 people suffered violence, 89 people were arrested / criminalized, as well as thousands of people were displaced from their farmland. “From these figures, it is clear agrarian conflict is a time bomb in the rural areas. Numerous, large scale, and involving the population of farmers and rural people are great. If the state continues not present, then the case will be repeated Tebo, “said Henry.
SPI condemn acts of violence committed by PT. WKS to farmers Indra killed in Tebo regency of Jambi Province. SPI also in solidarity with farmer organizations and other rural areas to help farmers Tebo. We urge countries coming soon to defend farmers in Jambi Province Tebo. And to the authorities, the authorities of the quickest process, prosecute perpetrators of violence. Law and justice must be done.
In the near future, the government must work extra hard and fast to resolve the agrarian conflict in the archipelago. There have been many recommendations of the farmer organizations such as ad hoc court, the acceleration of the agrarian reform agenda, as well as the revision of laws detrimental to farmers (and more profitable plantations, such as Plantation Act). Farmers need the situation safe and conducive to survival and produce food for the people of Indonesia.
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