Military admits error in handling Jember farmers

Military admits error in handling Jember farmers

SURABAYA (JP): The Chief of the Brawijaya Military Command said on Saturday that some of his soldiers violated procedures in handling the conflict between tobacco farmers and a state plantation company in Jenggawah near Jember last August.

In another startling admission by the military, Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo promised that those responsible would be punished in accordance with military law.

He did not say how many soldiers were involved or which procedures were violated.

The military also admitted last year to procedure violations on at least two occasions: once in East Timor, which led to the death of five civilians, and again in Irian Jaya, where 16 civilians were killed.

Jenggawah farmers revolted last August when PTP XXVII, the state tobacco plantation company, decided not to renew the farmers' land leases. The angry farmers, who had been tilling the land for generations, set fire to the company's office and storerooms.

Several of the farmers believed to be behind the violence were arrested, but later released without being charged.

Imam Utomo said that he had ordered the Malang military chief Col. Affandi, whose jurisdiction encompasses the Jenggawah area, to gather ulemas and community leaders in Jenggawah and to apologize for the behavior of the soldiers.

"This holy month of Ramadhan is an appropriate time to ask for an apology," he said.

The procedural violations were committed by young, emotional soldiers who probably lost control, he said.

The origin of the incident is related to the status of the land, which has been disputed since the 1970s by about 1,000 farmers and the state plantation company, which claims to have the title to the land.

A precarious peace had been maintained in an agreement, under which the farmers would plant tobacco and sell the produce to the company.

This peace was disrupted last August when the company decided to terminate the arrangement and seize the land.

The land's status is still being negotiated. (15/emb)