Land disputes must be settled prudently

Land disputes must be settled prudently

SANUR, Bali (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged
state institutions to be prudent in settling disputes over
ancestral land.

"Since the enactment of Law No. 5/1960 on agrarian reform 40
years ago... several principle points, such as land borders,
types and ownership, as well as other rights guaranteed under
traditional laws, have not been addressed," Megawati said while
speaking at the opening of the Congress of Public Notaries
Authorized to Issue Land Documents here on Thursday.

The event also was attended by Minister of Home Affairs and
Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja.

Numerous land disputes have been left unresolved for years,
and others have led to protracted conflicts.

These include frays between the Kubu tribe and forest
concessionaires in Jambi and South Sumatra.

In Irian Jaya, local tribes oppose copper and mining company
PT Freeport Indonesia's operation, claiming the area is their
ancestral land.

The Vice President also criticized the country's poor land
administration. "I ask for a total measure of the country's
productive land and none of the officials are able to provide me
the exact data."

"Of the country's 1.9 million square kilometers of land, only
3.6 percent has been completely mapped. Therefore, I ask the
National Land Agency and the Coordinating Agency for National
Surveys and Charting to speed up the process of land
administration and mapping.

"I understand the land issue is a complicated matter and that
it cannot be solved merely by mapping, but at least we can first
start with this basic principle," Megawati said. (zen/edt)