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)