Lampung governor urged to settle 200 land disputes
Lampung governor urged to settle 200 land disputes
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung
Three thousand farmers from the Lampung People's Council (DRL) staged a rally in front of the governor's office on Monday, demanding Governor Oemarsono settle 200 land disputes in the province.
DRL secretary general Komarhaen Agus Revolusi said that of the 60 land disputes settled by Team 13, set up by the provincial administration to settle conflicts, most had put land owners in difficult positions.
"The farmers have yet to receive certificates and therefore still have no legal protection so they can be kicked off their land at anytime," Agus said.
The demonstration was held as part of the DRL's fourth anniversary. The farmers marched for seven kilometers from Gedongmeneng Hero's Cemetery to the governor's office in Bandarlampung.
He urged the governor to order officials to address the land problems immediately.
"We will appeal to the provincial legislature to bombard the governor with questions about his progress report next January if he has failed to settle the cases," Agus said.
Governor Oemarsono did not meet the protesters as he was in West Java on official business.
Agus said records of the cases varied widely between those held by his organization, the local offices of the provincial administration and the National Agrarian Agency (BPN).
"BPN data relies on the record of reported cases. In fact, there are more cases than the BPN thinks," he said.
Agus added that the farmers were now being forced to pay up to Rp 350,000 (US$39.3) per hectare of land for a land certificate. He said that based on provincial regulation No. 6/2001, the fee was only Rp 100,000 per hectare.
Separately, local BPN office chief Tugiman said that as of July this year his office had tackled 249 land cases from a total of 327 disputes.
"It means that 70 percent of cases have been resolved and there are only 78 cases left," he said.
Tugiman, however, rejected Agus's claim that his office had charged farmers more than the authorized fee to get land certificates.
He said the fees could be higher than the allowable price due to some additional charges on the seal, land measurement and land margin.
"But there must be errant officials if the fees are marked up to Rp 350,000 per hectare," he said.
Most of the disputes involve communal land.
The people's right to communal land has not been in force since the issuance of the Lampung Resident Decree No. 153/1952 and Gubernatorial Decree No. 174/1974.
Armen Yasir, a member of Team 13, said that the disputes were the result of the absence of a "sharing principle" among the farmers and companies occupying the communal land.
"The companies rent the land cheaply and hire locals for low wages. They have reaped the benefits for years while the people have watched," he said, adding that the companies should give at least 8 percent of their profits to the people.