A total of 5 farmers who came from Kenagarian Aia Gadang, West Pasaman, were criminalized by PT Anam Koto in the case of land conflicts which were suspected to have been carefully planned.

“We suspect that the criminalization of 5 farmers was by design and planned by PT Anam Koto, which resulted in the five farmers being suspects and being put on trial. During the trial, LBH Padang also presented witnesses related to allegations of human rights violations over the existence of PT Anam Koto for the farming community of Aia Gadang," said Decthree Ranti Putri, a public advocate for LBH Padang to sumbarsatu, Wednesday (7/9/2022).

He conveyed, in several trials at the West Pasaman District Court, hundreds of people who were members of the Indonesian Peasants Union Basis Aia Gadang attended the trial in the hope that justice could be served fairly.

The five farmers were criminalized for the incident on May 28, 2022 at the location of the oil palm plantation between the farmers and PT Anam Koto due to the plasma issue that had reached the court.

The five were charged with violating Article 170 paragraph (2) of the 1st KUHP subsidiary Article 170 paragraph (1) or both of violating Article 351 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.

The trial with the agenda of examining witnesses from the Public Prosecutor, which was held on August 29, 2022, presented "DW" as a victim witness and security coordinator, "AZ" as a security guard, and AS as a plant sprayer.

In his statement before the trial, he added, the US admitted that it was indeed ordered to poison everything in the location and the security guard was asked to document the incident before entering the location.

Based on the statements of these witnesses, we suspect that the chaos that occurred was by design from PT Anam Koto," explained Decthree Ranti Putri.

The location of the incident is a land struggle area for farmers, which was originally ulayat land which was taken by force and allegedly violated human rights for PT Anam Koto's oil palm development. "The company promised to provide plasma but it has not been implemented until now," he explained.

Due to this situation, the Regent of West Pasaman issued a decree Number: 188.45/471/BUP-PASBAR/2022 on August 16, 2022 regarding the implementation of the obligation to provide plasma at least 500 hectares by PT Anam Koto to the Kenagarian community of Aia Gadang within a period of 30 calendar days.

In the facts of the trial, explained Decthree Ranti Putri, it was revealed that there had been several times of intimidation accompanied by damage to community plants and cottages as an effort to provoke public anger so that the situation was chaotic.

“This is even exacerbated by the attitude of the West Pasaman Police, which only processes company case reports but is slow to process cases reported by the public. Even though the community reported the alleged damage to plants in the police report number: LP/B/90/IV/2022/SPKT/Res Pasbar/West Sumatra Police dated April 13, 2022, which was later stopped at the investigation stage by the West Pasaman Resort Police, "said Decthree Ranti Putri.