The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 08/03/2010 9:28 PM
At least two people suffered gunshot wounds from rubber bullets as police dispersed about 1,000 local farmers who occupied a plantation belonging to PT Wira Karya Sakti in Senyerang village in the Jambi regency of Tanjung Jabung Barat on Tuesday.
Kompas.com news portal reported that the farmers started their protest at 8 a.m. They planted new seedlings on the acacia plantation which they claimed to belong to them.
One of the residents, Parjoni, said dozens of officers from Tanjung Jabung Barat police precinct arrived at about 11 a.m. and dispersed the crowd, only to meet strong resistance.
During the clash, the police opened fire at the farmers, wounding two of the protesters, identified as Iman and Yusup.
Parjoni said the farmers were angry with the plantation company for breaking a cooperation agreement between them. “We were promised a cooperation scheme. There has been no partnership in place, therefore we demand our land back,” Parjoni said.
Deputy police precinct chief Comr. Bambang denied reports that police personnel had shot the farmers. He said the officers only used tear gas to dissolve the protest.
“The reports are not true. Nobody was shot. The farmers held hostage the company’s heavy equipment,” Bambang said.
Environment activist Ferry said the dispute between the farmers and the company had lasted three years. He said then governor Zulkifli Nurdin had promised to distribute 40,000 hectares of industrial forest concession belonging to the company to farmers in five regencies across the province. “But the promise never materialized,” Ferry said.
No comments:
Post a Comment