Palm Oil Company Allegedly Mastermind The Destruction Of 40 Villagers Home

Posted on Apr 25, 2010

Approximately 300 unidentified men allegedly came from the six villages in Hutaraja Tinggi District, Padang Lawas, North Sumatra, burnt and destroy at least 40 homes in Batang Kumu Village. The attack happened at about 14:00 pm local time and lasted until the night.

40 villagers houses is burned down to the ground

“The crowd that attacked our village was headed by a member of the Mobile Brigade Unit named Simorgan Nababan from Sipirok unit. I saw him wearing a police uniform covered with a jacket,” said M Nasir Sihotang from Batang Kumu Village, when contacted by Antara from Pekanbaru, Saturday night (24/0/2010).

Nasir said some of the villagers recognized the Mobile Brigade personnel who also works at the palm oil processing company PT Mazuma Agro Indonesia (MAI) in Hutaraja Tinggi District, Padang Lawas, North Sumatra

According to Nasir, the villagers in Batang Kumu have been in conflict with MAI since around 1998. “We never had a problem with the residents of Padang Lawas, but we do have one with MAI, it’s about regional boundaries,” said Nasir.

Nasir said the palm oil plantation company wants to expand their plantation to an area that includes some 500 hectares of agricultural land belonging to the villagers. MAI allegedly had been using unethical tactics such as scaring the villagers out of their land.

Executive Director of Kaliptra Sumatra, Irsyadul Halim said the attack is likely due to the lawsuit brought on by the Batang Kumu residents against MAI. The conflict is currently being reviewed in Pasir Pangarayan District Court, Rokan Hulu, Riau.

“In addition, a similar attack occurred in 1998 when Batang Kumu Village houses were also damaged by people allegedly masterminded by the company,” he said.

MAI has been partnering with six villages in Padang Lawas, North Sumatra, and claimed that Batang Kumu is also part of its concession area.

MAI operates with permits issued by the South Tapanuli National Land Agency (BPN) Number 460.132/IL/I/1996, granting permission for development of plant oil plantation published on January 23, 1997.

And with South Tapanuli Regent Decree No. 525.26/1656/K/2003 the plantation cultivation permit issued on 11 November 2003, which essentially give MAI permission to develop a palm oil plantations over 9,000 hectares of area.

“However, some of these areas are actually part of Riau province. This did not deter MAI and consequently, many lands that had been community-managed were confiscated by MAI,” said Halim.

At the Pasir Pangarayan District Court hearing, expert witnesses from the BPN Riau, Riau Province Government, Indonesia Forestry Department, and Surveys and Mapping Coordination Agency said MAI claimed to be erroneous as about 5,508 hectares of it concession is inside Riau region.

Witnesses from the BPN said MAI were allegedly shifted the metering peg as far as 5 kilometers into the border of Riau-North Sumatra.

The local police are still investigating the causes and the perpetrators of the attack which resulted in at least 40 homes belonging to Batang Kumu villagers burned charred.

“We are securing the area, while the investigation is conducted by the South Tapanuli police since the perpetrators are in their jurisdictions,” said Riau Police Public Relations Head, Zulkifli. (Ant)