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.