On July 20, 800 farm workers from villages in South Sumatra demonstrated outside the District Administration Offices in the area of Muara Enim, near Palembang in South Sumatra.

The protest was part of an ongoing campaign by farmers from several villages in the area to get back land that had been stolen from then during the last ten years of the Suharto dictatorship. The land had been seized by plantation companies. The peasants had been thrown off their land and turned into casual farm slave labourers for the plantations.

Over the last several years they had been attempting to claim back their land by appealing to local authorities. In recent times, the campaign had started to organise peaceful demonstrations.

On July 20, the police open fired on the demonstration with one farmer killed and almost 100 injured, either by bullets or by being beaten. More than fifty farmers were arrested and beaten in prison. Some of these were later released but there are still 10 farmers in jail as well as two organisers from the National Peasants Union (STN). The two STN organisers have been severely beaten and are being denied access to doctors. The STN fears for their survival. Approximately 100 farmers are still being treated in hospital.

The police have ordered the arrest of anybody wearing red caught in the area or anybody with student identity cards. They have also ordered the arrest of all STN members and leaders.

The wives of the arrested farmers are now occupying the police station where the farmers and STN organisers are detained. The STN is calling for emergency international support.