Media Release: September 2, 2008
The 15-million strong Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) calls for the immediate release of peasants who were arbitrarily arrested in separate occasions in Indonesia.
Three members of the Alliance of Agrarian Reform Movements (Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria – AGRA ) in Karangsari village were taken by plain-clothed police officers on August 28 and are now being held at the Garut district police compound. The AGRA is an active member of APC in Indonesia . The three peasants were Mulyana, Dede and Dayat, while the whereabouts of another person, Asep, are still unknown.
In a press conference on August 27, Erpan Faryadi, AGRA general secretary and concurrent APC vice-chairperson for internal affairs, stated that “Mulyana, Asep and Dayat were arrested by unknown group of persons, while they were trying to hold a peaceful demonstration in front of the Garut district police compound. The detentions of the peasant activists were done separately. Mulyana and Dayat were forcibly taken earlier, near the Cikajang petrol station, at approxaimately15. 30 local time. A truck carrying the two, along with a group of other farmers, was stopped by a dark blue Kijang jeep with police license plate, with 10 plain-clothed officers.”
“According to witnesses, two of the police officers were armed with shotguns. The second incident took place in front of the Cikajang police station, which the farmers passed on their way back home to Karangsari when suddenly a truck carrying participants from another demonstration were stopped by three vehicles with 20 police officers, four of whom were visibly armed and all were in plain-clothes then forcibly taken Dede, an AGRA leader from Karangsari village.
The third arrest was made against Asep, also a leader of AGRA , in Sodong Siu. When the bus, where Asep is riding, took a stopped for a break at a local restaurant. Asep was forcibly taken by six plain-clothed police officers, two of which were seen carrying pistols and shotguns. At this time, Asep’s whereabouts are still not known,” Faryadi stressed.
State Terror
In a joint statement, AGRA and APC demands for the unconditional and immediate release of the three peasants been detained, and to surface the other one whose whereabouts are still unknown. Both peasant organizations also demand to end these form of terror that are directed against the farmers who are fighting for its land against PTPN VIII Condong.
“The arrest of the farmer leaders from Karangsari village is a form of state terror aimed to harass them. They are just protecting the land that rightfully belongs to them and have been fighting for. We demand to end the involvement of the police and military, in land conflicts making it difficult in resolving the problems. These had been voiced before,” said Ramos.
Despite these calls, the current government has legitimized the involvement of the military and police in land conflicts. Through the National Land Agency (Badan Pertanahan Nasional or BPN), the involvement of the police in resolving land conflicts has actually been given legality, through Joint Decree (SKB) No.3 of 2007, which was signed by BPN head Joyo Winoto, and the Decree of the National Police No. B/576/III/2007 that was signed by police chief Sutanto. This joint decree has given legitimacy to series of acts of violence, intimidation, physical abuse and destruction of farmers’ land.
According to Faryadi, “clearly, this SKB is not based in the root causes of the land conflicts in Indonesia . Land conflicts in Indonesia are actually caused by the existence of a vast monopolization of land by large-scale plantations, forest concession holders and mining companies which has taken and decreasing the productive land available for farmers.”
Call for Solidarity
AGRA and APC is requesting solidarity and support for the farmers in Karangsari village. They are calling on other organizations at national and international level to join them in their demand for the immediate release of the detained peasants and surfaced the other one. They are requesting other colleagues to call or send letter at the Garut district police office (+62-262-540770) and West Java provincial police department (+62-22-7805123) .
“The arrest of Indonesian farmers demonstrates that the farmers struggle for land is still a long journey yet, we will continue the fight for genuine agrarian reform and democracy in Indonesia ” ended Faryadi. ###
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