20 farmers protest over land acquisition<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Twenty South Sumatran farmers protested at the
\nHouse of Representatives yesterday over the appropriation of
\ntheir land, by various private and state-owned companies, without
\ncompensation.<\/p>\n
Representing over 500 farming families in several regencies,
\nthe farmers demanded that the House help them to gain
\ncompensation from both the government and private companies that
\ntook their property.<\/p>\n
Despite a wait of eight hours in the House foyer, the
\ndelegation was not granted an audience with House Speaker Wahono.
\nThey said they would try again today to speak with Wahono.<\/p>\n
Chalid Muhammad, a member of the Indonesian Forum for the
\nEnvironment, accompanied the farmers to the House. He told
\njournalists that the delegates wanted to discuss the matter with
\nWahono only.<\/p>\n
\"They refuse to return to their home town until they have seen
\nWahono,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mat Sidi, representing 187 families in Lubuk Rukam village in
\nthe Ogan Komering Ulu regency, said the villagers wanted to be
\ncompensated for 1,237 hectares of land which had been taken over
\nby PTP Mitra Ogan, a government-owned palm oil plantation.<\/p>\n
He said the company had cleared the land of their crops at
\nnight and that no compensation had been offered.<\/p>\n
He said that the residents had previously filed complaints
\nwith the local administration and the local legislative council,
\narguing that the appropriation was unlawful, but that there had
\nbeen no results.<\/p>\n
A. Koim, a resident of Muara Enim regency who is representing
\nthe Benakat clan, which traditionally controls 3,000 hectares of
\nforested land, said that PT Musi Hutan Persada, a company jointly
\nowned by PT Barito Pacific and the state-owned PT Inhutani II,
\nhad illegally cleared the forest for the timber.<\/p>\n
The company had offered the Benakat clan Rp 60,000 (US$27) per
\nhectare, he said, adding that the people had rejected the offer
\nas being too low.<\/p>\n
\"We want fair compensation for our land,\" he said. The clan
\nhad also taken their complaint about compensation to the company,
\nKoim said, but they had not received a reply.<\/p>\n
The delegation took their complaints to the National
\nCommission on Human Rights on Tuesday. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/20-farmers-protest-over-land-acquisition-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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