Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) along with the Samarinda Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Samarinda) condemned the action of East Kalimantan regional police members for allegedly arbitrarily arresting nine palm oil farmers in the Nusantara Capital City or IKN area.
YLBHI said that the arrest was without showing a warrant, and failed to explain a clear reason to apprehend.
"This could be categorized as a systemic attack towards citizens fighting for their right to life," YLBHI said in a press conference on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
YLBHI received the arrest report on Saturday at around 08:19 local time. The farmers were arrested by the East Kalimantan regional police and Penajem Paser Utara resort police officers in relation to the VVIP Airport development in IKN.
The legal aid agency believed the arrest was an effort to utilize the law as a tool of repression. Based on YLBHI's record, the police have many times used this method to ensure the interest of national strategic projects (PSN), as they did in Rempang recently.
According to YLBHI, the police officers have violated law and human rights, since anyone possesses the right to understand the reason for arrest and be shown an arrest warrant.
On the other hand, YLBHI believed Pantai Lango's residents are protected by law to fight for their rights over the land impacted by the VVIP airport project in IKN. Their actions are protected by Article 28C (2) of the Constitution in conjunction with Article 15 of the Human Rights Law of 1999.
Thus, YLBHI and LBH Samarinda urged the East Kalimantan regional police chief Nanang Avinato to release the nine farmers. They also demanded the National Police chief take firm action against East Kalimantan police officers for their arbitrary arrest of Pantai Lango residents. According to YLBHI and LBH Samarinda, the government must reevaluate the police security policy in national projects, especially IKN.