Farmers reject plantation bill, military candidates

Farmers reject plantation bill, military candidates

A. Junaidi
Jakarta

Thousands of farmers from Central Java, West Java and Banten
provinces hit the capital's streets on Wednesday to protest
against the plantation bill and presidential candidates with
military backgrounds.

The farmers, who came from Wonosobo, Central Java; Subang,
West Java and Banten, gathered at the Hotel Indonesia traffic
circle in the early afternoon before marching to the front gate
of the House of Representatives (DPR) compound.

Arriving in dozens of buses, the farmers, along with students
and workers grouped under the Agrarian Reform Movement Alliance,
unfurled banners and posters rejecting the bill and demanding
land reform.

Alliance secretary-general Erpan Faryadi said the bill would
benefit only large plantation companies and inflict suffering on
low-income farmers.

"We demand land reform. We urge the government and the house
to implement Agrarian Law No. 2/1960, which favors farmers,"
Erpan said.

Several non-governmental organizations (NGO) protested the
bill earlier this year, saying that it would harm farmers and the
environment.

The House is currently deliberating the bill on plantations
which, if enacted, would allow plantation companies to occupy
land and convert forest areas into monoculture plantations
without restriction, as long as it did not harm the national
interest.

The NGOs complained that the bill would encourage authorities
to give concessions to plantation companies to convert forest
areas into plantations, continuing the overexploitation of the
country's forests and marginalizing local farming communities.

Farmers are wary of a chapter in the bill that prohibits any
action that might disrupt plantation activities. The reclamation
of land by local communities could be regarded as such, and would
be punishable by five years' imprisonment and a Rp 5 billion
(US$520,833) fine.

Chairwoman of the National Front for the Indonesian Workers'
Struggle (FNPBI) Dita Indahsari said the bill would create
tension between small farmers and large companies that had often
been the subject of intervention by the military and police in
the past.

"So, farmers, along with workers and students, also reject
militarism and presidential candidates from the military," Dita,
who once won the Ramon Magsasay Award from the Philippines, said
in the rally.

She said many farmers had been oppressed by the regime of
former president Soeharto, who often used the military and police
to settle land disputes.

On Tuesday, thousands of farmers also staged a rally at the
same locations, making similar demands.

Two presidential candidates have military backgrounds: Gen.
(ret) Wiranto of the Golkar Party, and Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party, as well as vice presidential
candidate, Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar of the United Development
Party.