Mega urged to form commission to resolve land disputes

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asked the government on Monday to set up a commission to deal with thousands of long-standing and sometimes violent land disputes nationwide.

Komnas Ham made the call during a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the State Palace in Jakarta. The meeting was also attended by members of the Agrarian Reform Consortium and senior officials from the National Land Agency.

A special commission is needed to mediate or arbitrate land disputes to ensure the people's economic and social rights are protected, Komnas HAM chairman Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said after the meeting.

He said many land disputes were the result of the policies of past regimes, which often favored major companies over residents.

"There were many policies passed by past regimes that favored companies while victimizing millions of farmers and poor people across the country," Abdul Hakim said.

Komnas HAM member Amidhan, who also attended the meeting with the President, said his office had received at least 520 land dispute complaints from victims seeking settlement since 1999, the year after the downfall of former strongman Soeharto.

Agrarian Reform Consortium member Nurfaizi said his group had received reports of at least 1,750 land disputes dating back to Soeharto's 32-year rule.

"These cases cannot be settled because they are related to government policies. They have to be handled by state administrative courts, but the courts only give people 90 days to complain about government policies, so it is impossible when you are talking about the policies of past regimes," Amidhan said.

Nurfaizi said the proposed commission on land disputes should provide the public a sufficient amount of time to file complaints.

"Only land cases filed during a certain period of time will be handled by the commission through arbitration or mediation," he said.

Amidhan said President Megawati responded positively to the suggestion, and that she told the meeting land disputes had a major impact on the lives of people.

"The President said that land is the source of people's lives," he said.

Abdul Hakim said Komnas HAM expected the President would soon issue a decree on the establishment of a commission on land disputes.

Land disputes are often blamed for sparking clashes in regions across Indonesia. Following the fall of Soeharto, many people who had lost their land during his authoritarian rule began fighting to recover what had been taken from them.