Indonesia: 40 land rights defenders arbitrarily arrested
Event- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- May 12, 2022
- Event Description
Today, May 12, 2022, members of the Association for Prosperous Earth Warriors (PPPBS) in Malin Deman Sub-district are carrying out their usual activities, harvesting palm fruit on the land they cultivate. The land they are working on is land that is currently still in the process of resolving the conflict with the company PT Daria Dharma Pratama (DDP). Based on the information we collected from local villagers, PPPBS members carried out harvesting activities simultaneously at around 10.00 WIB. But at the same time the company is also carrying out the same activity around members' arable lands. After about 2 hours of harvesting, the police officers (BRIMOB), totaling approximately 40 people, surrounded PPPBS members on the land of a member named Zarkawi (a resident of Talang Arah village). It is suspected that BRIMOB members took repressive actions against PPPBS members and the surrounding community land (who are not even members) by making arrests and beatings. So far, only 1 person has been confirmed with a laceration to the head as a result of being attacked by the police. The victim of this criminalization is Hardoni, a resident of Talang Arah village, Malin Deman sub-district. Meanwhile, around 40 PPPBS members were stripped half their bodies, their hands were tied using plastic ropes and their cellphones were confiscated. These 40 people were then taken to the South Mukomuko Police Station at around 4 pm.
From the information we received until 20.00 WIB, several PPPBS members had gone through the BAP process without an assistant or legal representative.
According to information from the local community, the police (BRIMOB) have been guarding the company's concession area for a long time, since early January. And during that time there has never been any coordination carried out by the police to the local village government to provide notifications regarding the agenda of the police to carry out operations around the village and sub-district areas. So far there has also been no response from the local government to protect those detained.
Based on information obtained from the PPPBS attorney, namely the Akar Law Office, who arrived at the South Mukomuko Police on Friday, May 13, 2022 at 02.00 WIB, the attorney was prevented from assisting the examination process carried out by PPPBS members. And at that time, the BAP process for 3 PPPBS members was still ongoing. However, after the examination process and BAP are completed, 1 ALO Advocate can only meet with the Secretary General of PPPBS; Lobian Angrianto's brother was escorted by 5 police officers in the detention room.
According to information from Lobian and the Head of Criminal Investigation at the South Mukomuko Police, 40 people and members of the community were detained. Currently (May 13, 2022, at 02:26) the 40 people who were arrested are still witnesses. The Head of Criminal Investigation Unit stated that the detention of 40 PPPBS members was carried out because of OTT with alleged Article 362 of the Criminal Code; Theft.
PPPBS is an acronym for the Association of Pejuang Pejuang Bumi Sejahtera which is an association of smallholders in Malin Deman District, Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu. This PPPBS is a legal entity NUMBER AHU-0013151.AH.01.07.TAHUN 2021. The number of farmer members who are members of this PPPBS is 187 people from 7 villages; Talang Direction, Red Water, New Talang, Lubuk Talang, New Serami, Semambang Makmur and New Serami. This association was created based on a common interest to regain their rights and sovereignty over their land. And currently PPPBS is in the stage of proposing the TORA Redistribution program for PT Bina Bumi Sejahtera's abandoned HGU land which is physically controlled by PT Dharia Darma Pratama (DDP) covering an area of 603.50 Ha.
- Impact of Event
- 40
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Judicial Harassment
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- Right to liberty and security
- Right to work
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: -2.809832475839199
Longitude: 101.65467527660722
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
The number and gender of affected defenders was not specified