Dayaks warn against latent conflict

Dayaks warn against latent conflict

JAKARTA (JP): The grievances of local communities in Kutai,
East Kalimantan, with large firms employing migrants there are
feared to have the potential for causing social unrest if the
government does not make an adequate attempt to resolve the
issue.

On Friday here, two representatives of the Kalimantan tribes
-- accompanied by NGO activists from Jakarta and the province --
met with State Minister of Land Affairs Hasan Basri Durin to
raise their concerns.

The tribes were from two subdistricts of Jempang and Muara
Pahu of East Kalimantan's Kutai regency, 200 kilometers west of
the capital, Samarinda.

The representatives were Arsenius Jira, 53, and Fetrus Asuy,
34, of the Benuaq Dayak community, the biggest Dayak group in
East Kalimantan.

Accompanying them were Mardonius Rudi Ranaq of the Samarinda-
based Institute for Community Resources Empowerment, A.H.
Semendawai of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Research and
Advocacy (ELSAM), Willem of the Indonesian Forum for Environment
(Walhi) and Tubagus H.K. of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute.

Problems raised were the loss of the tribe's natural sources
of livelihood, the forced relocation of an ancestral cemetery and
the destruction of medicinal plants in the area.

They blamed the illegal logging of thousands of hectares of
local forests and land clearing for oil palm plantations.

Large oil palm plantation companies were among those mentioned
during the hearing with Durin, the publicly listed PT London
Sumatra Indonesia and PT London Sumatra International. Also
mentioned was PT Gelora Maha Pala.

The companies could not be reached for comment on Friday.

The delegation, which earlier met with Minister of Forestry
and Plantations Muslimin Nasution, said no legal permits had been
issued to those companies to clear the forests or cultivate the
land. Durin also said on Friday that the National Land Agency
(BPN), which he heads, had yet to issue any permits to the
companies.

The oil palm plantations were begun in 1996 with the clearing
of 18,000 hectares of forests, which directly affected 10
villages in the two subdistricts, the delegation said. In 1997,
areas of the forests were destroyed in one of the world's biggest
forest fire catastrophes.

Durin said that it was against the law for the firms to
operate without the proper permits, and said his office would
write to the province's governor, Suwarna Abdul Fatah, with
copies of the letter also sent to the companies and related
parties, to seek an explanation.

Mardonius, himself of Dayak origin, said his NGO had met
subdistrict heads, regents and the East Kalimantan governor to
voice their demands: that companies halt their activities, and
that lands be returned to the traditional owners and compensation
paid.

Delgates Asuy and Jira said police mobile brigades had been
sent to force the tribespeople to remain silent. They said local
officials had told them the decision to cultivate the land was a
direct order from Jakarta.

"That's impossible. Jakarta would not make such a
recommendation if things had not been settled yet at the regional
level," Durin said.

The state minister suggested to the delegation that a more
cooperative deal be worked out with the companies, which he said
would be preferable to residents continuing to be "hot headed",
as it would be them who would suffer.

The minister said he would be willing to mediate between the
companies and the local communities.

A.H. Semendawai of Jakarta-based ELSAM later told The Jakarta
Post that there was the potential for violence between Dayaks and
migrant company employees -- numbering around 3,000 -- should the
government fail to properly address the issue. (aan)