Activists condemn police shooting of protesting farmers
Activists condemn police shooting of protesting farmers
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi
Dozens of non-governmental organization activists went to
Governor Amin Syam's office and the provincial legislature on
Wednesday to condemn the police shooting of protesting farmers in
the remote town of Bulukumba, which left one person dead on
Monday.
The activists from the Front of Poor People's Struggle (FPRM)
and the Bulukumba Student Family Association (KKB) demanded an
investigation into the shootings.
"We want the police to set up a fact-finding team to probe the
possible violation of standard operating procedures by the
officers, which led to the loss of life," FPRM chairman Irham
Ariandi said.
The Makassar Legal Aid Institute, the Solidarity of NGOs, the
Federation of Indonesian Farmers and the Association of People
Against Corruption also issued a joint statement to denounce the
fatal shooting, and demanded action be taken against the
officers.
The activists also urged the police to release 15 people
arrested following the incident.
A farmer, identified as Barra bin Badula, was killed and three
others suffered gunshot wounds when 200 police officers were
deployed to disperse about 1,000 villagers. The villagers ran
amok while protesting what they said was the illegal occupation
of their land in Bonto Mangiring subdistrict by rubber plantation
company PT London Sumatra.
The villagers cut down rubber trees and attacked the company's
housing complex during the incident, which was the first to
target the company since it began operating in the area in 1967.
Bulukumba is located 210 kilometers south of the provincial
capital of Makassar.
Provincial police chief Insp. Gen. Jusuf Manggarabarani
dismissed on Wednesday demands that officers who opened fire on
the crowd be punished.
He said the police acted in self-defense as many of the
villagers were carrying sharp weapons during the incident.
"We tried to persuaded them to disperse, but they ran after
our personnel brandishing sharp weapons," Jusuf said. He added
that Barra was shot as he attempted to throw a Molotov cocktail
at officers.
Witnesses said Barra died of gunshot wounds to the head. They
also said the police opened fire as the protesters gathered in a
field near the company's housing complex.
Bulukumba Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Tigor H. Situmorang said
15 people had been arrested and charged with taking part in the
riot. Police are searching for another 13 people, including NGO
activists, believed to have masterminded the incident.
Some of the arrested villagers said they began to riot after
being urged on by an NGO activist identified as Mappasomba, Tigor
said.
"Mappasomba persuaded the farmers to claim the land and said
each of the farmers deserved one hectare," the officer said.
Bonto Mangiring subdistrict was quiet on Tuesday as officers
continued to search for rioters.
PT Lonsum Palangisang Estate manager Muhammad Ali Simatupang
said the company had been granted a land use permit in 1918 and
had extended its plantation area to 5,784 hectares over the
years.
He said the company and the farmers had been involved in a
legal dispute, but the dispute was resolved in 1997 when the
Supreme Court ruled in favor of the farmers. The court ordered
the company to return 200 hectares to the plaintiffs.
"We fulfilled the order. We even gave them 600 hectares," Ali
said.