Violence at Jenggawah

Violence at Jenggawah

The name Jenggawah has surfaced again. As in 1978, farmers
again unleashed their fury in Jenggawah in the Jember district,
East Java. And just as 17 years ago, the farmers were demanding
settlement for their land which was taken over by the government-
owned agricultural estate PTP-XXVII.

This land dispute, which had been left to fester for 17 years,
finally erupted into acts of violence committed by the farmers.
They burned down barns and houses owned by PTP personnel. The
violence died down for a few days, but than flared up again.

To conciliate the farmers the chief of the Brawijaya military
command, Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo, together with the East Java chief
of police, Maj. Gen. Rusmanhadi, went down to Jenggawah for a
discussion with the farmers. Still, the fury erupted again as no
clear settlement was in sight.

It is easy to imagine how the farmers will fare if the land
which is their only source of livelihood is taken away from them
without giving them any alternative means of living. As their
self-control is lost in this search for alternatives which are
nowhere in sight, acts of violence such as those that have
occurred at Jenggawah are easily committed. This would be all the
more true if the land take-over is done in an attitude of
arrogance.

We do not want to be overhasty in concluding that the fault in
the Jenggawah case lies with PTP-XXVII. What we do regret is that
the search for a settlement between the farmers and PTP has been
allowed to drag on for so long. The violence would not have
occurred if only a judicious and speedy settlement could have
been achieved.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta