Farmers and students protest over land policies<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of farmers, students and activists
\nmarked Agrarian Day on Thursday in several cities throughout the
\ncountry with street protests, blasting the government for
\npolicies they claimed had dispossessed thousands of small
\nlandholders.<\/p>\n
In Bogor, West Java, at least 500 farmers and activists took
\nto the streets to protest the appropriation of their lands by
\nreal estate and golf course developers. The group, which included
\nstudents from Bogor's Pakuan University and activists of the
\nAMPERA legal aid institute, called themselves the Indonesian
\nFarmers' Solidarity (STI).<\/p>\n
They demanded the government to return the land to the
\nfarmers.<\/p>\n
\"Give the land back to the people\", read a poster carried
\nduring the protest in the compound of the Bogor residential
\nadministration office.<\/p>\n
The protesters also accused former president Soeharto of
\nkicking farmers off their land to build a cattle ranch.<\/p>\n
The farmers came from the villages of Tapos, Cijayanti and
\nMalasari in Bogor regency, Cimacan village in the West Java town
\nof Cianjur and Rancamaya village in Bogor mayoralty.<\/p>\n
The protesters demanded that Soeharto and his cronies be
\nbrought to court for the forcible seizure of their lands.<\/p>\n
\"Try Soeharto and his cronies who have caused losses to
\nfarmers and the people,\" their statement read.<\/p>\n
\"Stop building golf courses and real estate on productive
\nfarmland,\" it also said.<\/p>\n
The group staged the protest under a drizzling rain, charging
\nthat firms had abused state power during the Soeharto era to
\nappropriate agricultural land.<\/p>\n
The protesters claimed that in 1974, Soeharto had forced
\nfarmers off their land with little compensation to build his
\nsprawling \"Tri S\" cattle ranch in Tapos near Bogor.<\/p>\n
\"Tapos is evidence of Soeharto's wealth\", read one poster
\ncarried by the protesters, some of whom had swarmed back into
\nTapos in July and planted crops.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, more than 300 students and farmers braved light
\nrain to stage a rally in front of the House of Representatives
\n(DPR) while dozens of police officers and soldiers stood watch.<\/p>\n
Jimmy, the protest's coordinator, was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying the farmers came from North Sumatra, Aceh, East Java, the
\nWest Java towns of Cibaliung and Pandeglang and the Central Java
\ncoastal town of Pekalongan.<\/p>\n
The protesters made fiery speeches, dancing and singing to the
\nbeat of traditional drums.<\/p>\n
Posters and banners were also unfurled, some reading: \"Farmers
\nsuffer because development's gone on wrong direction\" and \"Uphold
\nhuman rights, return our lands\".<\/p>\n
The farmers were joined by students from the University of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
In the West Sumatra capital of Padang, another group of 200
\nfarmers accompanied by activists from several non-governmental
\norganizations (NGOs) rallied outside the governor's office to
\nprotest various land disputes there, AFP reported.<\/p>\n
They protested the conversion of farmer's lands and the
\nopening of forests on Mentawai island, off the coast of the
\nprovince, for private oil palm plantations, a widespread practice
\nin West Sumatra over the past several years.<\/p>\n
The province has in past months seen incidents of farmers
\nattacking oil palm estates and other projects that had taken over
\ntheir land without adequate compensation.<\/p>\n
The demonstrations came amid protests that the government is
\ndragging its feet in its investigation into allegations that
\nSoeharto had illicitly amassed a fortune during his 32 years in
\npower.<\/p>\n
It was the second consecutive day of farmer protests. On
\nWednesday, similar protests were also staged in North Sumatra's
\ncapital of Medan and in Bali.<\/p>\n
The protest in Medan was by far the biggest, with several
\nthousand farmers and students participating. The farmers demanded
\nthe return of their land forcibly taken by private companies with
\nthe backing of government authorities.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, also at the governor's office in Medan, hundreds
\nof farmers again staged a similar protest.<\/p>\n
Back in Jakarta, the government called for public cooperation
\nconcerning idle private land that nearby residents have illegally
\ncultivated for additional food during the crisis.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Land Affairs Hasan Basri Durin stated that
\nwhile the government understood that people needed land to till,
\nthere were also rules to follow.<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise, things will get chaotic,\" he said at a news
\nconference in his office after commemorating the 38th anniversary
\nof the Basic Agrarian Law.<\/p>\n
\"We hope cultivators will organize themselves, contact the
\nlocal (government) administration, cooperate with land owners ...
\nit's hoped that we can allocate some financial assistance in the
\nregional budget,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Durin said his office would help the people to simplify the
\nprocess of such cooperation. (21\/24\/ivy\/aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/farmers-and-students-protest-over-land-policies-1447893297",
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