Ulma Haryanto – More than two weeks after shocking allegations from the district of Mesuji in Lampung came to light, the government's fact-finding team has declined to say whether human rights were violated in the district.

"Further analysis is necessary and we will coordinate with Komnas HAM [National Human Rights Commission] regarding human rights-related issues," Deputy Justice Minister Denny Indrayana, who heads the fact-finding team, said on Monday after submitting a progress report. They team is due to submit a full report on Jan. 16.

The team was established on Dec. 16 after a group of farmers from Mesuji came to the House of Representatives alleging mass murders by police and private militias employed by two plantation companies amid a dispute over land.

The farmers showed a gruesome video depicting a raid they say was ordered by the company and gunmen shooting and then decapitating villagers. Though it was later revealed that parts of the video were shot somewhere else, Denny said on Monday that his team will focus on "the parts that did happen."

In a meeting with Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi, National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo, National Land Agency (BPN) head Joyo Winoto and Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, the team presented its progress report regarding three separate land conflicts in the adjoining provinces of Lampung and South Sumatra.

However, most of the team's findings restated information already known. "Our preliminary findings are that there were land disputes between local villagers and the company, although the details in each issue differs," Denny said, adding that the land disputes have occurred over a long time.

The team also found that there were nine casualties resulting from the conflicts in the three areas in 2010 and 2011, a fact already announced by the National Police last month.

Denny said there were four different participants in the disputes: villagers, plantation companies, local governments, and security officers. "There were also parties who took advantage of the unrest by committing illegal land transactions," Denny said.

Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said the team's unclear mandate would not solve anything.

"I already said from the start that the fact-finding team is a waste of time," he said. "For instance, it is still not clear what they are investigating, [because] if it is human rights, we already have Komnas HAM."

Haris also added that the team has so far avoided going directly to the root cause of the conflict. "We all know that the source was land conflicts, but the team never properly addressed this," he said.

Komnas HAM official Ridha Saleh said that the organization has since April said that there were human rights abuses carried out by security officers hired by plantation company Sumber Wangi Alam in Sungai Sodong village.