Sawangan farmers protest

Sawangan farmers protest

JAKARTA (JP): A bus load of farmers and their families from Sawangan, Bogor, went to the National Commission on Human Rights headquarters yesterday calling for their intervention to release four of their fellow farmers now under police detention.

The 36 visitors, including women and children, told the commission members that their four peers had been detained for over 30 days after a conflict with a real estate company over a land dispute came to a head.

They said the four -- identified as Solihin, Asip Jahari, Amat Aji Muit and Tabrani -- were detained on charges of trespassing.

One of their wives yesterday denied the charge, saying that the four simply removed the fence erected by PT Cisadane Perdana which is developing the Sawangan Hill estate on the disputed area.

"We beg you to help release our colleagues detained by the Bogor Police," said one of the farmers during the meeting with commission members Bambang Suharto and Djoko Soegianto.

They said that some 200 families are involved in the dispute over the 70 hectare area with the Sawangan Hill developer who claims to own the land by virtue of holding the titles.

But the farmers feel they have a right to the land which they and their parents and forefathers tilled.

Members of the commission in response agreed to look into the matter but said that they could not intervene in the legal case of the four arrests. (emb)