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Central Java farmers, Army urged to settle land dispute in court
Jakarta Post - August 25, 2015
The call was made in response to a recent brawl involving hundreds of local residents and Army personnel at the Urut Sewu beach area, where the disputed land is located.
"The [land] dispute has been there for a very long time, as both parties claim that they are the legitimate parties that have the right to own the disputed land. So, it is necessary to settle this matter immediately with a legally binding [ruling] to prevent further conflict," Ganjar told reporters in Purwokerto on Monday.
Local residents and the Army have been in a long-standing dispute regarding the management of a stretch of land approximately 23 kilometers in length and 500 meters in width, which spans 15 subdistricts in three districts in Kebumen.
The Army has claimed that the land belongs to the institution and it has regularly used the area to test heavy weapons since the 1980s. Thousands of local farmers, meanwhile, have insisted that the land is theirs, arguing that it has been cultivated by their families for many decades.
At least 11 farmers from Wiromartan village in Mirit district, Kebumen, were reportedly injured after a rally held by hundreds of local farmers to protest against the building of fences in the disputed land by a group of military personnel turned chaotic on Saturday afternoon.
South Kebumen Farmers Association (FPPKS) cooodinator Seniman claimed that the soldiers became angry and kicked and punched the protesters after the latter asked them to stop building the fences.
"Some of the injured residents are still being treated in hospital, while some others have returned home," Seniman said on Sunday
A similar incident took place in April 2011, during which four residents were reportedly shot with rubber bullets and six others were injured after being hit by blunt objects.
To prevent any other violent acts, Ganjar also urged both parties not to hold any activities in the disputed area until after they agree to bring the matter to court.
"Both parties already met in many mediation meetings, but so far failed [to reach a settlement]. Both claim the ownership of the land, while at the same time they have no land certificates to prove it," he said, adding that he was ready to arbitrate the dispute should both parties still opt to make an out-of-court settlement.
Kebumen regional administration secretary Adi Pandoyo said the local administration had invited experts from several institutions, including the National Land Agency (BPN) and the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, to join the administration's land conflict settlement team.
"We invited the experts [to join the team] before the recent brawl broke out. According to the initial plan, the Army and local farmers were scheduled to meet for another [mediation] meeting on Sept. 14," he said.
Kebumen 0709 military commander (Dandim) Lt. Col. Putra Widyawinaya, meanwhile, said the Army would continue building the fences to encircle the disputed land, arguing that area had been designated as "a national defense area." "We will continue [the project] until complete," he said.
Separately, Regional Military Command (Kodam) IV/Diponegoro spokesperson Lt. Col. Zainul Bahar said that the state had granted the management of the disputed area to the Army. "The area was handed over by the Dutch colonial army to the state on July 25, 1950," he said.
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