Agrarian conflicts are thought to have led to the criminalization of residents, as experienced by Subardin (55) and Agus (36), residents of Bungintimbe Village, North Morowali Regency (Morut), Central Sulawesi (Central Sulawesi).

Currently the two residents have been detained and named as suspects by the Morut Police for alleged threats that occurred in the PT Sinar Mestika Nusantara (SMN) mining area.

Due to the detention, the families of the suspects, namely their wives and children, came and complained to the Central Sulawesi Representative Commission of National Human Rights, on Thursday (30/5/24), accompanied by the Coordinator of the People's Front for Palm Oil Advocacy (FRAS) Eva Bande.

Previously, Subardin and his group in 2019 had gradually cleared 32 hectares of land, by planting cassava, bananas and coconuts, and at that location they also built a small hut as a place to rest.

In 2022 PT Sinar Mestika Nusantara will evict land that has been managed by Subardin and his group. On the grounds that the company has compensated the Tanaoge village community for losses.

Because they were defending their land rights, Subardin and his group protested by blocking the location of PT Sinar Mestika Nusantara. At that time an argument broke out between Subardin's group and company employees.

Furthermore, on May 21 2024, Subardin and one member of his group, Agus, were named as suspects, even though they were only defending their land which had been cultivated and managed together.

Meanwhile, Central Sulawesi FRAS Coordinator Eva Bande condemned the act of detaining the two residents. According to him, this is a form of criminalization and silencing of farmers who are fighting for their land rights.

The agrarian activist also urged the Central Sulawesi National Human Rights Commission to take firm steps to end the legal process by prioritizing dialogue and persuasion in the agrarian case that befell Subardin and Agus.

Confirmed separately, Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for North Morowali Police, AKP Arsyad Ma'aling, denied that the detention of the two people was related to land issues and land disputes.

"The case is not about land and land disputes, they were detained because they made threats with sharp weapons, we will release them later to the Police," he said briefly.