Farmers protest over land in Semarang<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): Around 150 farmers staged a demonstration at
\nthe provincial legislature office here on Friday to demand that
\nthe government return land which they claim was taken from them
\narbitrarily. The farmers came from the Central Java regencies of
\nBantang and Kendal.<\/p>\n
\"We just want the land which we tilled for years to be given
\nback to us so we can grow crops to feed our families during the
\ncrisis,\" the farmers' leader Sanuri said.<\/p>\n
He said many past land appropriations in the two regions had
\ncaused farmers to suffer.<\/p>\n
Sanuri also cited intimidation by the military.<\/p>\n
\"We have always lost and this must be stopped,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Muhajirin, the head of land affairs at the Semarang Legal Aid
\nInstitute office, said he supported the farmers' demand.<\/p>\n
He said the government must take the initiative and give
\nfarmers back their land to help them through the crisis.<\/p>\n
Friday's protest here was the latest in a series of similar
\nprotests in various parts of the country which have been
\norganized to coincide with the 38th anniversary of the 1960
\nAgararian Law, which fell on Sept. 24.<\/p>\n
On Friday, farmers also staged a protest at the governors
\noffice in the West Nusa Tenggara capital of Mataram.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that hundreds of farmers came from the Central
\nLombok villages of Kuta, Tanak Au, Penujak and Senggol and from
\nthe village of Sire in West Lombok to demand the return of land
\nwhich they said the government had taken from them.<\/p>\n
They said the land had been taken to build an airport, golf
\ncourses and other tourist facilities.<\/p>\n
Their request of a meeting with Governor Harun Alrasyid could
\nnot be met because the latter was out of town.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, non-government organizations grouped in the
\nConsortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA) said farmers' protests
\nstaged recently in Medan, Palembang, Lampung, Jakarta,
\nUjungpandang, Denpasar and Bandung were the result of years of
\nland policies under the New Order government that ignored their
\nneeds. \"The government frequently issues new land use permits for
\nlands that have been used by local communities for generations,\"
\nit said.<\/p>\n
In their statement signed by chairman Noer Fauzi, the
\nconsortium called on the government to set up a temporary
\nNational Commission for Agrarian Dispute Settlement given the
\nabsence of a special agrarian court.<\/p>\n
Noer Fauzi said the government should also review all land use
\nrules which favor large companies at the expense of smallholder
\nfarmers. (har\/aan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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