Land disputes politicized: Minister<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some parties are politicizing land disputes for
\npersonal gain and to benefit from the 1997 election, a cabinet
\nminister alleged yesterday.<\/p>\n
Minister of Agrarian Affairs\/Chairman of the National Land
\nAgency Soni Harsono asked his officials to be wary of the
\npossibility.<\/p>\n
\"Their maneuvers may become more commonplace as next year's
\nelection approaches,\" Soni said at a national agrarian affairs
\nworkshop.<\/p>\n
He declined to name the people and the groups he suspected of
\nexploiting land disputes.<\/p>\n
But, he said, it is understood that student and human rights
\ngroups have a strong network that provides legal advice to
\nfarmers who face the prospect of losing their property to
\ndevelopment projects.<\/p>\n
Soni advised his officials to solve land acquisition conflicts
\nin the early stages to avoid the intervention of a third party.<\/p>\n
He said that many recent land disputes developed into national
\ncontroversies because local administrations failed to deal with
\nthe matters while they were still manageable.<\/p>\n
He mentioned as examples land ownership disputes in Jenggawah,
\nEast Java; Puncak, West Java; and Parbuluan, North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
The Jenggawah and Parbuluan land disputes ended in physical
\nclashes between farmers and security officers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 17 Karang Sari villagers in Garut regency, West
\nJava, went to the National Commission on Human Rights yesterday
\nto protest the forced appropriation of their land.<\/p>\n
\"They (the government) took our land to build a road. We have
\nnever been offered any compensation,\" spokesman for the
\nprotesters Rana Surya said yesterday to commission member
\nRoekmini Koesoemo Astoeti Soedjono.<\/p>\n
The government should provide compensation because the project
\nis financed with money from the state budget, he said. The
\nresidents are demanding that the government offer them at least
\nRp 5,000 (US$2.10) in compensation for each square meter of their
\nproperty.<\/p>\n
However, Garut regent Toharudin Gani said last week that the
\nlocal administration does not have the money to compensate them.<\/p>\n
Roekmini told the residents that the rights commission would
\nsoon investigate their claim. (imn)<\/p>",
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