A. Junaidi, Jakarta – Thousands of farmers from Central Java, West Java and Banten provinces hit the capital's streets on Wednesday to protest against the plantation bill and presidential candidates with military backgrounds. The farmers, who came from Wonosobo, Central Java; Subang, West Java and Banten, gathered at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in the early afternoon before marching to the front gate of the House of Representatives (DPR) compound.
Arriving in dozens of buses, the farmers, along with students and workers grouped under the Agrarian Reform Movement Alliance, unfurled banners and posters rejecting the bill and demanding land reform.
Alliance secretary-general Erpan Faryadi said the bill would benefit only large plantation companies and inflict suffering on low-income farmers. "We demand land reform. We urge the government and the house to implement Agrarian Law No. 2/1960, which favors farmers," Erpan said.
Several non-governmental organizations (NGO) protested the bill earlier this year, saying that it would harm farmers and the environment.
The House is currently deliberating the bill on plantations which, if enacted, would allow plantation companies to occupy land and convert forest areas into monoculture plantations without restriction, as long as it did not harm the national interest.
The NGOs complained that the bill would encourage authorities to give concessions to plantation companies to convert forest areas into plantations, continuing the overexploitation of the country's forests and marginalizing local farming communities.
Farmers are wary of a chapter in the bill that prohibits any action that might disrupt plantation activities. The reclamation of land by local communities could be regarded as such, and would be punishable by five years' imprisonment and a Rp 5 billion (US$520,833) fine.
Chairwoman of the National Front for the Indonesian Workers' Struggle (FNPBI) Dita Indahsari said the bill would create tension between small farmers and large companies that had often been the subject of intervention by the military and police in the past.
"So, farmers, along with workers and students, also reject militarism and presidential candidates from the military," Dita, who once won the Ramon Magsasay Award from the Philippines, said in the rally. She said many farmers had been oppressed by the regime of former president Soeharto, who often used the military and police to settle land disputes.
On Tuesday, thousands of farmers also staged a rally at the same locations, making similar demands.
Two presidential candidates have military backgrounds: Gen. (ret) Wiranto of the Golkar Party, and Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party, as well as vice presidential candidate, Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar of the United Development Party.