Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Hundreds of farmers from across North Sumatra province, grouped under the Federation of Indonesian Farmers (SPI), rallied in front of the governor's office on Monday, demanding just and thorough handling of hundreds of agrarian conflict cases.
SPI North Sumatra chapter secretary Heri Purwanto said his organization had received reports of at least 485 agrarian conflicts in 2008. Most of these were cases in which farmer's land had been claimed by either state-owned or private plantation companies. "None have been properly resolved," Heri said.
Many of the farmers had also become victims of violence in their efforts to reclaim property, he said. More than 300 farmers had been arrested and named suspects while struggling for ownership rights, Heri said.
"Almost all were physically abused. So far, six have been killed (as a result)," Heri told reporters on the sidelines of the rally on Jl. Diponegoro.
SPI urged local authorities to stop security apparatus from criminalizing and arresting farmers seeking justice, or reacting violently toward them. Such treatment was often seen from police, military and hired thugs commonly known as preman, Heri said.
Heri expressed concern that criminalization of farmers seeking justice was still common in the province. Providing examples, Heri said five SPI members had recently been arrested and detained while struggling for their rights to land.
The members were Jaimar Sigalingging, Abel Barus, Sehat Sinulingga and Kawan Sinulingga, who were detained by Lubuk Pakam Prosecutor's Office in Deli Serdang regency. The other was Arman Dani Sirait, who was detained by Kisaran Prosecutor's Office in Asahan regency.
The first four, Heri said, were detained after an anarchic protest in which farmers, accusing state-run plantation company PTPN II of claiming their community land, destroyed some of the company's heavy machinery. A similar story also applied to Arman Dani Sirait.
Monday's protesters, mainly women, urged that the five detained farmers be released immediately. The protesters argued that detention was a violation of farmers' rights.
"We want Law No 18/2004 on Plantations to be revoked because it imprisons farmers who fight for their rights to property claimed by others," Wagimin, a protester, said at the rally.
Wagimin said more than 31,000 farmers in the province had been displaced because their land had been claimed by other plantation companies. "Their conditions are very concerning at this time," he said.
Responding to the protest, Governor Syamsul Arifin said his administration would call for a meeting with the related institutions to seek solutions.
"These have been very complicated cases. Hopefully we will be able to find ways to handle them," Syamsul said after receiving delegations representing the protesters.