Farmers and scavengers rally to seek government protection

JAKARTA (JP): More than 2,000 farmers and scavengers gathered at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Tuesday to demand the government protect their rights.

The farmers, from the Pasundan Farmers Association (SPP) and claiming to represent 6,000 others, said in a statement the government must protect their land from business interests.

"The government, especially the Ministry of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy, must be held responsible for protecting our right to use our farmland," SPP coordinator Agustiana said.

He said the farmers, who came from various towns in the new province of Banten and West Java, including Bandung, Cianjur, Garut, Tasikmalaya, Ciamis, Sukabumi and Cirebon, arrived in the capital in a motorcade from Bandung.

Some 3,000 activists from non-governmental organizations in West Java, Jakarta and Banten supported the rally, Agus said.

The farmers began to gather at the traffic circle in the afternoon, at almost the same time as activists from the Indonesian Scavengers Association began to arrive.

Agus denied the farmers held their rally because of any political interests, as many would be quick to assume given the heightened tension resulting from bickering among the political elite.

"We don't care who emerges as president. We merely came here to ask the government to assure us of its protection of our rights," Agus told The Jakarta Post.

The scavengers, numbering about 100, mostly came from West Jakarta. They demanded the central government protect them from efforts by the city administration to remove them from the capital.

"We deserve a peaceful life like other city residents," one of the scavengers, Soman, said.

Both the farmers and the scavengers were united in calling for a halt to the prolonged conflict between the political elite.

"The conflict between the President and the House of Representatives has plunged the nation into chaos," Agus said.

Traffic from Jl. Sudirman to the traffic circle was congested for about two hours as a result of the rally.

The farmers dispersed peacefully just before 4 p.m., leaving the capital in a motorcade. (01)