Revocation of land decree demanded

JAKARTA: A coalition of non-governmental organizations and individual citizens filed on Tuesday a judicial review request at the Supreme Court, demanding it revoke the controversial presidential decree on land acquisition for public interests.

Munarman of the Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI), said the request was signed by around 3,000 farmers, laborers and representatives of NGOs, including the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the Urban Poor Consortium and YLBHI. Another 8,000 people would also sign it, Munarman added.

In their petition, the coalition said Presidential Decree No. 36/2005 violated Law No. 10/2004 on the formation of legislation, Law No. 20/1961 on revocation of rights to land and Law No. 5/1960 on agrarian reform.

The petitioners also asked the Supreme Court to order the president to scrap the decree within 90 days.

The government has said the decree will actually smallholders and farmers from land brokers and will not be enforced to wantonly evict people. -- Antara