Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says that no beheadings occurred in Sodong village, Mesuji district in South Sumatra, during alleged conflicts involving local residents and a palm oil company.

Commission deputy chief Ridha Saleh said Friday that the two people who died during the April 21 clash, Saetu and his nephew, Indra, had been shot.

Earlier, several video recordings depicting people being brutally beheaded and mutilated had been widely spread over electronic media. The videos were reported to have been taken around the village. "Some local residents said that there were no beheadings," Ridha said in his office.

On April 21, Saetu and Indra left home to buy pesticide at around 10 a.m. traveling by motorcycle past a crude palm oil plantation belonging to PT Sumber Wangi Alam (SWA).

At 1 p.m., a villager told their family members that Indra had been found dead. Family members found a wound on Indra's neck and three holes, allegedly from bullets, on his chest and waist.

Villagers also found the dying Saetu not far from where they found Indra's body. Saetu died on the way to a public health center. According to Ridha, Saetu was found on PT SWA's land.

Villagers, however, still have no idea what triggered their deaths, as both had not involved themselves in any conflicts with the company.

According to the local authorities, about an hour after villagers had found Indra and Saetu, they staged protests and vandalized the company's base camp, prompting a clash between the two parties. Five company security officers reportedly died during the incident.

"The villagers denied that they had vandalized the company's assets and said that they had only staged a demonstration," Ridha said. He also urged the government to reveal the names of people who had been questioned regarding the incident. (swd)