Indonesian Peasant Union condemns and protests against land grabbing: Violent evictions and criminalization of SPI Nagari Kapa peasants
Indonesian Peasant Union Press Release
On Thursday, 10 October 2024 Indonesian Peasant Union (SPI) organised a mass action at Indonesian National Police Headquarters and Wilmar Group Office in Jarkata to condemn the recent land grabbing, the repression by and unilateral actions of PT Permata Hijau Pasaman I (PHP I) Wilmar Group with the protection of the police, to illegally evict SPI Nagari Kapa peasants and destroy hundreds of hectares of their land and crops without notice.
On Friday, 4 October 2024, PHP I with the protection of hundreds of police from the West Pasaman police and West Sumatra police started evicting peasants from the Indonesian Peasant Union (SPI) Basis Nagari Kapa and destroying their crops in the West Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra. During this illegal process, PHP I also started planting its palm oil trees on land covering about 600 hectares that had been planted with paddy rice, corn, bananas, and other food crops by the peasants.
Starting on Friday the 4th until Thursday, the 10th of October 2024, LPRA SPI Nagari Kapa peasants suffered losses of more than Rp. 2 billion as a result of the evictions and destruction of crops by the PHP I. The losses included: (1) Rice paddy on 30 ha (Rp. 400 million), (2) Corn crops covering 60 ha (Rp. 300 million), (3) Papaya plants covering 3 ha (IDR 120 million), (4) Banana Plantation covering 10 ha (IDR 200 million), (5) Patchouli plants covering 6 ha (Rp. 170 million), (6) Coconut plants totaling 80 stems (IDR 130 million), (7) Jackfruit plants as many as 150 stems (Rp. 200 million), (8) Mango plants as many as 15 stems (Rp. 20 million), (9) Durian plants as many as 70 stems (Rp. 70 million), (10) Groundnut plants covering an area of 1 ha (Rp. 5 million), and (11) the demolition of 40 buildings and houses and 20 access bridges.
Many peasants were denied access to their fields because the access road were closed by PT PHP I and the police. This led to clashes between the peasants and PHP I and the police, during which some peasants subjected to physical violence. Peasants, mostly women, were also victims of violence when clashes occurred in the fields as they defended against the destruction of their crops. Four peasants were injured and one was thrown into a ditch. Fifteen peasants were arrested, detained and later released by police after questioning.
The illegal eviction should not have been carried out considering that the concerned area is in the process of review by the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) and the West Pasaman Regency Agrarian Reform Task Force (GTRA) to resolve the land dispute. Thus, the decision to evict and plant shows the arrogance of PHP I and its disregard of law and the ongoing process of resolving this land ownership dispute.
On 27 June 2024, a West Pasaman GTRA Meeting was held to discuss the resolution of the dispute between PHP I and SPI peasants over the ownership of over 900 hectares of land that had been designated as SPI Agrarian Reform Priority Location (LPRA) in Nagari Kapa. Following this meeting, the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency, on the 29 July 2024, gave an update explaining the progress of resolving land dispute.
On 30 July 2024, a Subject Object Data Collection and Field Review of SPI’s LPRA in Nagari Kapa was conducted by the West Pasaman BPN and attended by the West Pasaman Police. The review found that the Cultivation Rights Title (HGU) of PHP I No. 54 was not located in Nagari Kapa, Luhak Nan Duo District, but in Nagari Sasak, Sasak Ranah Pesisir District. This implied that the land ownership claim of PT PHP I was inaccurate. Despite this finding, PHP I still proceeded to illegally evict, destroy crops and force plant its palm oil trees in LPRA SPI Nagari Kapa.
SPI condemns these ongoing evictions and destruction of peasant crops and calls on the authorities to intervene and:
- Stop the evictions, violence, and destruction of peasants’ crops, and the order PT Permata Hijau Pasaman I (PHP I) – Wilmar Group to stop planting palm oil seedlings on SPI Kapa peasants’ lands
- Withdraw the police from SPI Kapa peasants’ lands and investigate the conduct of the police officers involved in the evictions.
- Take the necessary steps to resolve the land conflict of SPI Kapa peasants, which is a Priority Location for Agrarian Reform (LPRA) of the Ministry of ATR/BPN and a Food Sovereignty Area.
Contact Person:
1. SPI Peasant Legal Aid Center, Hafis Saragih (+62 813-9800-1657)
2. Chairperson of the DPP-SPI Political, Legal and Security Department, Angga Hermanda
(+62 812-8383-581
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