Immediate land reform is a must: NGOs<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
NGO activists have called on the government to address the
\nincreasing inequity between rich and poor farmers before the
\nissue explodes into a social conflict.<\/p>\n
Henry Saragih, secretary-general of the Indonesian Farmers
\nFederation (FSPI) and Usep Setiawan, Coordinator of the Working
\nGroup on Agrarian Reform and Natural Resources, said on Thursday
\nthat the minority rich farmers controlled 69 percent of farmlands
\nin the country.<\/p>\n
The call came only a week after a bloody land dispute in
\nBulukumba, South Sulawesi, claimed six lives.<\/p>\n
The violence broke out when villagers ran amok during a
\nprotest of the alleged illegal occupation of their land in Bonto
\nMangiring, Bulukumba, by rubber plantation company PT London
\nSumatra.<\/p>\n
The police apparently shot the protesters in what they claimed
\nwas self-defense against farmers who tried to attack them with
\nsharp tools.<\/p>\n
"Land reform is inevitable, but the government is not serious
\nabout it," Henry said.<\/p>\n
A 1993 survey by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) showed
\nthat a total of 22.8 million farmers, or 84 percent of all
\nfarmers, controlled a plot of less than one hectare, and that 70
\npercent owned less than 0.5 hectares of land.<\/p>\n
In comparison, only 4.4 million farmers have more than one
\nhectare of land, which accounts for 69 percent of the country's
\nfarmlands.<\/p>\n
In 2000, however, 80 percent of the country's farmers owned
\nless than 0.5 hectares of land, said the Ministry of Agriculture.<\/p>\n
Henry said while most farmers were working very hard to own
\njust 0.5 hectares of land, the government had allowed plantation,
\nforestry and mining firms to hold concession areas of thousands
\nto millions of hectares.<\/p>\n
Data from the Consortium for Agrarian Reform showed that
\nas of 2000, 2,178 plantation firms controlled a total of 3.52
\nmillion hectares in concession areas.<\/p>\n
Usep said that without fair distribution of land, land
\ndisputes would be constant, and crime and environmental
\ndestruction would continue unchecked.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri is set to present the
\nperformance of her administration today at the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) Annual Session, including their land
\nreform measures.<\/p>\n
In 2001, the MPR issued Decree No. IX\/2001 on agrarian reform
\nand natural resources management, which included reorganizing
\nland ownership in the country.<\/p>\n
So far, the government has only issued Presidential Decree No.
\n34\/2003 in May, instructing the National Land Agency (BPN) to
\nspeed up the review of the 1960 Agrarian Law.<\/p>\n
But Henry said a review of the Agrarian Law was not necessary,
\nas it was good enough to ensure fair distribution of land.<\/p>\n
He said the Agrarian Law covered basic principles that
\nrespected indigenous land ownership, social functions, the
\nprotection of farmers' rights and conservation.<\/p>\n
"We need a decree that orders state institutions to review
\nlaws for specific sectors, like the Mining Law and the Forestry
\nLaw, which conflict with the Agrarian Law," he said.<\/p>\n
In order to realize land reform, the government should thus
\nstart purchasing land controlled by corporate firms and rich
\nfarmers, and not extend concession areas held by plantation,
\nforestry and mining firms, Henry said.<\/p>\n
The government could then distribute the land fairly to poor
\nfarmers, he added.<\/p>\n
Usep said the House of Representatives and the government
\nshould establish a comprehensive land reform concept to ensure
\nfair land distribution.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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