Farmers stage rally at Police headquarters

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of farmers from Tulang Bawang regency in Lampung staged a protest in front of the National Police Headquarters on Wednesday to demand the release of their families and friends being detained at Lampung Police Headquarters.

The group, which included a number of elderly women carrying small children, claimed 11 farmers from a number of villages in the district were kidnapped in July by men hired by local plantation firm PT Bangun Nusa Indah Lampung.

The kidnapping also involved several Mobile Brigade personnel from Lampung Police Headquarters, the group alleged.

"My husband was kidnapped. I was looking all over for him when I found out he was being detained at Lampung Police Headquarters," Warnisih, 50, said in tears.

"He (my husband) was the victim of a kidnapping. How can police detain him?" she asked.

The conflict between local farmers and the plantation firm began earlier this year after the farmers demanded the plantation's owner return their land, which they claimed had been appropriated without any compensation.

A press statement issued by the Committee for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), a number of whose members accompanied the farmers during the rally, said the company had hired men to carry out the kidnappings, while the police had been terrorizing locals to end their protests.

Mrs. Parno, who claimed her husband was kidnapped on Sept. 29, said men hired by the firm and backed by the police had burned her house.

"Now I have nowhere to live, and who will feed my children since my husband is still being jailed by the police?" she said.

Kontras handed over two guns to National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro on Oct. 13. They alleged the weapons had been used to intimidate locals in Lampung.

The group said the pistols were seized from local thugs who had used the weapons to frighten locals when thousands of them staged a protest on Aug. 28. The weapons were allegedly given to the men by the police.

There were no injuries reported on the farmers' side during the August rally, but one of the men allegedly hired by the company was beaten to death by the protesters.

During the rally on Wednesday, the protesters demanded to meet with Bimantoro.

However, the meeting failed to materialize because Bimantoro was busy with other meetings.

Several young men taking part in the rally prevented journalists from interviewing the elderly women participating in the protest.

"Don't ask her. Speak to our spokespeople," one of the men told reporters, referring to the Kontras members.

One man cursed a journalist who insisted on interviewing one of the women.

The group peacefully dispersed after National Police spokesman Sr. Supt. Timbul Sianturi promised to schedule a meeting between them and Bimantoro on Friday. (jaw)