Farmers set up own organization

Farmers set up own organization

YOGYAKARTA: The Organization of Free Farmers was proclaimed on
Friday at the end of a three-day gathering of farmers from
Yogyakarta and southern areas of Central Java.

The congress, attended by about 100 farmers from 13 regencies,
issued a statement announcing the organization's demands and the
establishment of the Free Farmers Union.

The statement said farmers had not gained a strong bargaining
position with the government, which they said had issued many
policies that had been to their disadvantage. The congress was
facilitated by the local branch of the Legal Aid Institute.

They demanded that the government allow for the "right of
local potential in farming technology to grow", and that land
disputes should be settled justly.

Existing laws and rules, the farmers said, have not provided
protection for farmers, and instead "have been used to facilitate
the interests of a few people and capital owners who draw profit
from natural exploitation". (swa)