PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – In the Village of Bangkal, situated within the Seruyan District of Central Kalimantan Province, a harrowing incident unfolded when police officers became embroiled in a repressive response during a peaceful demonstration organized by the local villagers. This tragic event shook the community and raised serious concerns about the state of civil liberties and human rights in the region.
The use of force against peaceful protesters was met with shock and condemnation from various quarters, as it highlighted the need for a swift resolution to the underlying issues that had led to such a distressing confrontation.
In response to this incident, Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS), an organization representing the interests of palm oil farmers, has stepped forward to provide valuable input and support. With the aim of addressing the underlying problems that precipitated the confrontation, SPKS has put forth eight opinions and expressions of support, underlining the urgent need for dialogue, understanding, and collaboration between all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful and just resolution to the situation.
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Their efforts seek to prevent such unfortunate events from recurring and promote a more harmonious and equitable environment within the Village of Bangkal and the surrounding region.
The first, the smallholders as members of SPKS condemned the brutally and repressively action that police officers did to the villagers of Bangkal in dealing with social conflict and peaceful demonstration. “Using weapon and arresting some men which in the end, there is a victim, would not be acceptable,” General Secretary of SPKS, Sabarudin said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com, Monday (9/10/2023).
The second, claim Indonesian Police chief to be responsible on the victim. We also urge that every procedural violation and repressive action that police officer did in District of Seruyan should be solved until it would be truly revealed. It needs to serve the justice and remove police chief in every level that involved in the violence that deals with agrarian conflict.
The third, urge Indonesian Police chief to deliver order to Police Chief of West Kalimantan to revoke ever police personal from the conflict area. We demand that the case should be investigated and serve the justice to the actor in the violence when dealing with the villagers’ protest to PT. Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada.
The fourth, urge Indonesian Police chief to order Police Chief of Seruyan to let every villager go for they are being arrested by officers when having peaceful demonstration because they only wanted to get their areas back from PT. Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada.
The fifth, the smallholders also urge Human Rights National Commission to establish an independent team to investigate human rights violation in the deadly accident that killed one villager of Bangkal, Seruyan.
The sixth, urge Central Kalimantan Province and District of Seruyan to be responsible on and solve the conflict between villagers of Bangkal and PT. Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada. This should involve conflict solution team and the villagers of Bangkal, indigenous figures, and civil organizations.
The seventh, urge related ministries/agencies (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial/National Land Agency, and Coordinator Ministry in Economy) to evaluate every company in their obligation to develop and realize 20 (twenty) percent plasma program.
The eighth, urge related ministries/agencies (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial/National Land Agency, and Coordinator Ministry in Economy) to evaluate and end partnership program within in one stop service/management as part of main – plasma program. This keeps raising social and agrarian conflicts in palm oil plantations.
By having these opinions, SPKS also took every party to cooperate and get solution on the case fairly for the villagers of Bangkal and every people that got the same conflicts in Indonesia. “Every party should unite to end violence and make sure that the people’s rights should be protected and respected,” Sabarudin said. (T2)
