Bagus B. T. Saragih, Jakarta – London-based human rights group Amnesty International is urging the government to resolve the shootings, allegedly fired by police officers, against palm fruit farmers in Jambi.

"We urge the Indonesian authorities to initiate a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the reported unnecessary and excessive use of force," Josef Roy Benedict, Amnesty's campaigner for Indonesia, said Friday in a statement received by The Jakarta Post. "Take measures to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice in fair trials and the victims receive reparations."

Amnesty also called for an independent police complaints mechanism by the National Police Commission (Kompolnas). "The police internal affairs division is currently investigating the incident but we are not aware of any progress on the case," Josef said.

In January, Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers in Karang Mendopo village, Sarolangun regency, opened fire on a group of palm fruit farmers, critically injuring six of them. The shootings took place amid a land dispute between the farmers and a palm oil company PT Kresna Duta Agroindo, which has been ongoing since 2006.

About 30 Brimob officers, who attempted to evict the farmers, confronted them and fired warning shots into the air as the farmers refused to leave. As the farmers fled in panic, the police reportedly opened fire on them with rubber bullets hitting six farmers in the face, thigh, stomach and back.

Following the incident, seven other villagers were arrested and questioned. They were later released without charge.

It was not the first alleged excessive use of force in Jambi. In April 2010, an oil farmer in Teluk Rendah, Tebo Ilir district in Tebo regency, Jambi, allegedly suffered a gunshot in a clash between farmers and palm oil company PT Tunjuk Langit Sejahtera.