Mega urged to form commission to resolve land disputes<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asked the
\ngovernment on Monday to set up a commission to deal with
\nthousands of long-standing and sometimes violent land disputes
\nnationwide.<\/p>\n
Komnas Ham made the call during a meeting with President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri at the State Palace in Jakarta. The
\nmeeting was also attended by members of the Agrarian Reform
\nConsortium and senior officials from the National Land Agency.<\/p>\n
A special commission is needed to mediate or arbitrate land
\ndisputes to ensure the people's economic and social rights are
\nprotected, Komnas HAM chairman Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said
\nafter the meeting.<\/p>\n
He said many land disputes were the result of the policies of
\npast regimes, which often favored major companies over residents.<\/p>\n
\"There were many policies passed by past regimes that favored
\ncompanies while victimizing millions of farmers and poor people
\nacross the country,\" Abdul Hakim said.<\/p>\n
Komnas HAM member Amidhan, who also attended the meeting with
\nthe President, said his office had received at least 520 land
\ndispute complaints from victims seeking settlement since 1999,
\nthe year after the downfall of former strongman Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Agrarian Reform Consortium member Nurfaizi said his group had
\nreceived reports of at least 1,750 land disputes dating back to
\nSoeharto's 32-year rule.<\/p>\n
\"These cases cannot be settled because they are related to
\ngovernment policies. They have to be handled by state
\nadministrative courts, but the courts only give people 90 days to
\ncomplain about government policies, so it is impossible when you
\nare talking about the policies of past regimes,\" Amidhan said.<\/p>\n
Nurfaizi said the proposed commission on land disputes should
\nprovide the public a sufficient amount of time to file
\ncomplaints.<\/p>\n
\"Only land cases filed during a certain period of time will be
\nhandled by the commission through arbitration or mediation,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Amidhan said President Megawati responded positively to the
\nsuggestion, and that she told the meeting land disputes had a
\nmajor impact on the lives of people.<\/p>\n
\"The President said that land is the source of people's
\nlives,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Abdul Hakim said Komnas HAM expected the President would soon
\nissue a decree on the establishment of a commission on land
\ndisputes.<\/p>\n
Land disputes are often blamed for sparking clashes in regions
\nacross Indonesia. Following the fall of Soeharto, many people who
\nhad lost their land during his authoritarian rule began fighting
\nto recover what had been taken from them.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-urged-to-form-commission-to-resolve-land-disputes-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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