Lampung people threaten to take over palm plantation
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung
Following a violent clash with security personnel on Thursday, hundreds of striking workers from a PT Budi Dharma Godam Perkasa (BDGP)-owned oil palm plantation in North Lampung have threatened to take over the 2000-hectare plantation because of the management's failure to end a prolonged land dispute.
The workers, the majority from Blambangan Pagar village, demanded that Team 13, assigned by the provincial administration to handle land disputes in the province, invite the plantation's management to the negotiating table before they acted.
"We give two weeks for the team to help solve the conflict. I cannot prevent residents from occupying the company's office and taking over the plantation if no solution is found," Syahrur, head of village, told reporters on Saturday.
Several striking villages were injured in a clash with police at the plantation on Thursday in efforts to press the management to negotiate with the workers.
Activists Tony Damanik and Adenin, who are believed to have urged the villagers to go on strike, are still at large.
It was the second clash between the villagers and security personnel. The first occurred in 1998 when former president Soeharto stepped down. No casualties were reported in the incident.
The communal land was appropriated by force by the former military-style New Order regime and handed over to a Jakarta businessman for the oil plantation.
Under former president Abdurrahman Wahid's tenure, the villagers questioned the land's appropriation and demanded the management pay fair compensation.
Syahrur said that in several prior negotiations, the management committed to giving eight percent of its annual profits to the villagers but, so far, nothing had been paid to the land's owners.
"As land owners, we have received nothing from the management who have enjoyed the company's profits for many years. We have been abandoned," he said.
Thoyib, a villager, said all residents had agreed to a meeting after the clash, but would take over the plantation if the management failed to fulfill its promise.
Armen Yasir, a member of Team 13, regretted the company's failure to realize its commitment to give eight percent of its annual profit to the villagers.
"We have pressed the management to fulfill its promise but it has breached it. My team will not take responsibility for any incident in the future if the villagers run amok and occupy the company's office," he warned.
According to The Jakarta Post's data, there are 350 land disputes in the province and most have yet to be resolved peacefully.
During 2000, eight people, including three police personnel, were killed in clashes between locals and security authorities in two land disputes with palm oil plantation company PT Bangun Nusa Persada and a shrimp pond company respectively in Tulangbawang Regency in the province.