Peasants’ houses in Mekar Jaya - the ‘‘hometown of agrarian reform’’ in Indonesia - razed to the ground
by La Via Campesina
Peasants' houses in Mekar Jaya - the ''hometown of agrarian reform'' in
Indonesia - razed down by a plantation firm [1]
[2]
It is cruelly ironical.
Less than 72 hours after President Joko Widodo's orders to implement the
agrarian reform through land redistribution as a step to address
economic disparity and inequality, peasant families of Mekar Jaya
Village in Langkat District of North Sumatera Province in Indonesia were
in for a rude shock.
_Langkat Nusantara Kepong Ltd (LNK)_ a Malaysian firm with interests in
palm oil plantations, did exactly the opposite by evicting these
families from their own lands and razing their houses to the ground. 554
hectares of land have been forcefully grabbed from peasants by this
Corporation, in a series of attempts made since the 18th of November
2016.
In the latest of those actions, carried out on Monday the 27th of March,
seventy houses have been razed down to the ground.
The affected peasant families, who are members of the Indonesian
Peasants' Union (SPI), have so far been putting up a brave fight. But
with nowhere to stay and their houses gone, the distress and despair is
strikingly evident.
[3]General Secretary of the Central Board (DPP) of SPI, Agus Ruli
Ardiansyah said that over a thousand personnel from the police and fire
department, descended with heavy machineries to carry out the eviction
on Monday.
Visibly agitated, he spoke at a press conference in Jakarta on the
morning of the 28th,
"We denounce LNK. It's actions certainly violate the orders of President
Jokowi to immediately implement agrarian reform and land redistribution
to address the economic disparity, because Mekar Jaya has previously
been listed as a hometown of agrarian reform. 70 houses were destroyed.
360 families have nowhere to stay any longer,"
"What PT-LNK did will increase rural poverty. With its latest actions,
the firm has curtailed peasants' access to livelihood. It is a direct
violation of the instructions of President Jokowi to accelerate the
agrarian reform. He had re-emphasized it at Mandailing Natal, on March
25, 2017, " Agus Ruli added.
Zubaidah, Chairperson of SPI North Sumatra Region gives a brief history
of the region and recalls 1952, when people of Paya Redas and Paya Kasih
earmarked nearly 1,000 hectares of land for paddy cultivation.
"It resulted in the creation of a settlement called Paya Redas, with TK
Abdul Hamit as their village head from 1954 till 1964. In the 1970's
trouble started when the company PTP II/PTPN II forcefully evicted
peasants from nearly 500 hectares of land. Since then, up till now
families in the region have been facing these threats periodically.",
says Zubaidah.
LNK, the firm that carried out Monday's eviction attack, is a joint
venture of PTPN II and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Plantation Holdings Ltd. The
Malaysian partner holds 60% of the stake in LNK. Its efforts to evict
peasants from the lands which were occupied and managed over the years
and over several generations, have been gathering steam lately.
"PT LNK claimed that these peasants who have been living on this land
are tenants who come from outside the area. On the contrary, we are the
true owners of this land and these houses. We are the descendants and
direct heirs of those who have lived here for generations, "said
Zubaidah.
At a meeting of all-affected-parties held on the 30th of March, Zubaidah
made a presentation explaining the context and the current situation to
the House of Representatives of North Sumatra (DPRD). Chairman of DPRD
North Sumatra, F.L. Fernando Simanjuntak has ordered LNK and PTPN II to
treat the community respectfully and rightfully.
"We are from SPI of North Sumatra, with representatives of SPI from
Mekar Jaya village here to meet the_ Commission A_ DPRD North Sumatra."
"_Commission A_, represented by Fernando Simanjuntak and Sarma Hutajulu
as Chairman and Secretary acknowledged that the municipal police could
not evict land and peasants' houses. This means that LNK has arbitrarily
carried out this action ", Zubaidah said in a press statement.
EMERGENCY IN MEKAR JAYA!
[4]
Chairman of the Executive Branch (BPC) of SPI, Langkat Suriono asserted
that the land and houses that have been bulldozed are still legally
valid.
"Based on the conflict settlement process and the RDP report to the
Presidential Staff Office (KSP), the Ministry of Agricultural, and
others, there has been no decision on the status of land and houses
owned by peasants. This means that no one can carry out any activities
on the land, including eviction and destruction of the homes " said
Suriono.
Suriono also urged LNK to respect the laws and instructions of the
President Jokowi about the implementation of agrarian reform rather than
straddling the law and obstructing the agrarian reform by destroying the
lives and livelihoods of small peasants.
"National Land Agency (BPN) or Agricultural Ministry itself has not
decide on the conflict, why LNK boldly straddles the law in this
country? Are they not satisfied with eliminating our source of
livelihood, that they are now bulldozing our homes and evicting us from
our land? "he asked
-------------------------
FOR QUERIES:
Zainal Arifin Faud - +6281311155365 - zainal(a)spi.or.id
Links:
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[1]
https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-right...
[2]
https://www.spi.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/penggusuran-mekarjaya.jpg
[3]
http://www.spi.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/penggusuran_mekar_jaya_3.jpg
[4] https://viacampesina.org/en/images/2017-03-31%20Mekar%20Jaya.jpg
7 years, 9 months
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Call to mobilise on #17April - Int'l Day of Peasant Struggles!
by La Via Campesina
CALL TO MOBILISE ON #17APRIL, _INT'L DAY OF PEASANT STRUGGLES_! [1]
PEASANTS RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS!
ADVANCE TOWARD UN DECLARATION ON RIGHTS OF PEASANTS AND OTHER PEOPLE
WORKING IN RURAL AREAS!
HARARE, 23 MARCH 2017:
The international farmers' movement La Via Campesina calls all its
members and allies to MOBILISE ON APRIL 17, the International Day of
Peasant's struggles.[1] [2] This year, we want the world to know that
peasants and other people working in rural areas have been working very
hard for their rights. The rights of peasants initiative, which La Via
Campesina started 17 years ago, now is in advanced process within the
United Nations towards a Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other
People Working in Rural Areas. This declaration, if approved, will
create an international legal instrument to protect the rights of and
draw attention to the threats and discrimination suffered by peasants
and other people working in rural areas.
The need for a UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other People
Working Rural Areas is more urgent and evident in the 21st century.
Peasants, who produce the bulk of the food consumed globally, continue
to face criminalisation, discrimination, displacements and persecution
despite existence of numerous international legal instruments for
recognition and protection of such rights.
Peasants' basic rights are increasingly very vulnerable as the economic
and ecological crisis worsens. This situation is closely linked to human
rights violations: expropriation of land, forced eviction, gender
discrimination, the absence of right to land and lack of rural
development, low income and lack access to means of production,
insufficient social protection, and criminalization of movements
defending the rights of peasants and people working in rural areas.
For instance, in Africa, over 70% of the agricultural production and
care-giving is done by women but there is little recognition of their
rights in relation to asset ownership, access to credit, information and
participation in policy making etc. In Brazil, despite many years of
peasants struggling for comprehensive agrarian reform, fair
redistribution of land remains unfulfilled. In Europe, the Common
Agricultural Policy and market deregulation of the milk sector affect
hundreds of thousands of family farmers. In Asia, much as in rest of the
world, free trade agreements and bilateral treaties have destroyed local
markets and continue to threaten local and traditional ways of farming
and farmers' exchange. Land concentration is increasing as some of the
affected farmers are forced to sell their land; youth participation in
farming is at its lowest.
We call upon the people around the world to celebrate International Day
of Peasants' Struggle by continuing to work to reinforce food
sovereignty, the fight against climate change and the conservation of
biodiversity; to fight for a genuine agrarian reform and a better
protection against land-grabbing; continue to conserve, use, and
exchange our seeds; and strengthen the solidarity among ourselves. These
give strength for us to defend our land against corporate interest,
persecution and violence against peasants and other people working in
rural areas.
This year in July 2017 in the Basque Country, La Via Campesina will hold
its VIIthInternational Conference to deepen our analysis of the current
crisis and agree on strategic lines for action to strengthen our
movement.
We also call upon countries to support the UN Declaration on the Rights
of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. We will mobilise
our members and allies to pressure our governments to make the next
negotiation in the 4th session of Open Ended Intergovernmental Working
Group on rights of peasants and other people working in rural area at UN
HR Council Geneva successful. We believe in championing the rights of
peasants and other people working in rural areas, humanity also wins.
JOIN US ON APRIL 17TH BY ORGANISING DEMONSTRATIONS, PRESSURE TO
GOVERNMENTS, PUBLIC DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS, FILM SCREENINGS, FARMERS
MARKETS, FESTIVALS, OR SOLIDARITY ACTIONS - ALL OF YOUR IDEAS AND PLANS
ARE WELCOME! SHARE BY SENDING TO LVCWEB(a)VIACAMPESINA.ORG SO THAT WE CAN
CAPTURE AND CIRCULATE THEM ON OUR MAP OF ACTIONS AHEAD OF TIME. PLEASE
SEND US YOUR PICTURES, AUDIOS AND VIDEOS SO THAT WE CAN UPLOAD THEM ON
OUR WEBSITE [3] AND OUR OUR TV [4]".
-------------------------
* It is vital that our rights as peasantry are guaranteed. Access to
land is essential for a decent life in the countryside and to realise
Food Sovereignty for all the peoples of the world. Watch and share our
new video, available here [5]!
* Download high resolution poster for web and A3 printing for Poster.
Click here [6]
* Follow us on Social media: @via_campesina [7] and
https://www.facebook.com/viacampesinaOFFICIAL
* For more information about process within the UN click here [8]
WE FEED OUR PEOPLES AND BUILD THE MOVEMENT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!
-------------------------
[1] [9] On April 17th, 1996, 19 peasants were killed when military
police in the Amazonian State of Pará in Brazil attacked a large number
of members of the Landless Workers Movement (MST) who were blockading a
highway in order to demand agrarian reform. Two more people died from
their injuries several days later, and hundreds of others were so
seriously injured that they could not go on working in agriculture. La
Via Campesina, which was then in the midst of holding its second
international conference at Tlaxcala in Mexico, declared April 17th to
be the International Day of Farmers' and Peasants' Struggle.
Links:
------
[1]
https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/actions-and-events-mainmenu-26/17-a...
[2] cid:part3.4AEF4BF1.8263D3D2@viacampesina.org
[3] http://www.viacampesina.org/
[4] https://tv.viacampesina.org/
[5] https://tv.viacampesina.org/International-Conference-of-1065?lang=en
[6] https://cloud.viacampesina.org/s/JYu0yttChXunacM
[7] https://twitter.com/via_campesina
[8]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RuralAreas/Pages/4thSession.aspx
[9] cid:part12.34CA902E.8BF775B3@viacampesina.org
7 years, 9 months
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La Via Campesina | e-Newsletter | Feb 2017
by La Via Campesina
La Via Campesina | e-Newsletter | February, 2017
Donate [1]
This edition of the newsletter is the result of a collective effort of
organisations, which are part of_ La Via Campesina_ movement worldwide.
To subscribe click here [2]
MARCH OF THE WOMEN
-------------------------
For the women of La Via Campesina from all over the world, 8th of March
is a day of struggle, resistance and denunciation of the capitalist
system, transnational corporations (TNCs), patriarchy and masochism.
These oppress, exploit and violate women. It's also a day of solidarity
with women's struggles. Here is a glimpse of our actions worldwide. For
more visit our Facebook Album [3]
NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
INDONESIA BARGAINING POSITION IN EU CEPA IS QUESTIONABLE
-------------------------
Zainal Arifin Fuad, from Serikat Petani Indonesia / Indonesian Peasant
Union, argued that the flow of free trade and agricultural products from
EU will marginalize the agricultural products from Indonesian farmers.
Read More [4]
UAWC APPEAL AGAINST LAW TO LEGALIZE WEST BANK SETTLEMENT SPOTS
-------------------------
This law would allow the Israeli occupation to authorize thousands of
Israeli settlements units, and 53 Israeli spots, as well as, to
confiscate 8,000 dunums from privately owned Palestinian lands. Read
More [5]
FOOD SOVEREIGNTY WITHIN A NEW AGRICULTURAL POLICY!
-------------------------
CAP hasn't addressed the near extinction of small farmers in many
regions of Europe (90% of farms have been lost in the last 30 years in
certain regions), or the abusive use of antibiotics in high
concentration animal farms. Read More [6]
"CETA IS A FALSE SOLUTION TO ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WOES" - NATIONAL
FARMERS UNION
-------------------------
Farmers in Europe understand that CETA is another threat to their
livelihood. In Canada, some farmers will see immediate income pressures
as CETA comes into effect. Read More [7]
CROFTERS GATHER TO DISCUSS BREXIT IMPLICATIONS
-------------------------
The event aimed at setting a 'crofting agenda' for the upcoming Brexit
negotiations and a post-Brexit agricultural policy that is fit for
crofting. Read More [8]
CONDEMNATION OF THE MURDER OF SULEIMAN HAMMAD, PALESTINIAN FARMER
-------------------------
La Vía Campesina strongly condemns the brutal and intentional murder of
our comrade Suleiman Hammad, an 85-year-old Palestinian farmer who on
February 8th, 2017 was run over by an Israeli settler, while walking to
work on his land near Al-Khader Village, south of Bethlehem. Read More
[9]
INDIAN FARMERS' GROUPS WRITE AN OPEN LETTER TO ROBERTO AZEVEDO, DIRECTOR
GENERAL, WTO
-------------------------
Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Roberto Azevedo, is
in Delhi, on 8-9th of February 2017. Indian farmers's groups have
written an open letter citing numerous instances of violations of their
rights brought about by ujnust policies of the trade body. Here is the
full text: Read More [10]
DEFEAT DIVSEEK: FAO REFUSES TO COLLABORATE IN BIOPIRACY
DivSeek was set up with money from the World Bank to carry out the
genetic sequencing of all the seeds held in the genebanks of the various
countries of the planet. It then publishes these sequences accompanied
by information on the characters of interest of the plants concerned.
Read More [11]
RESOLUTION: CALL TO ACTION IN SUPPORT OF STANDING ROCK SIOUX TRIBE
-------------------------
The North American Region of La Via Campesina sends its most sincere
solidarity to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the water defenders in
their heroic struggle to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and in
defense of Mother Nature and their sacred land. Read More [12]
"WE WANT TO COME OUT STRONGER AND HAVE OUR RIGHTS RESPECTED"
Andalusian Inmaculada Ibáñez, member of the women's articulation group
and leader of the women's faction of the Coordinadora Agricultores
Ganaderos (a major farmer organisation in Spain), spoke with Radio Mundo
Real. Read More [13]
STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE ACTIVIST WHO WAS PREVENTED FROM
TRAVELING
-------------------------
The International Women's Articulation of La Via Campesina, issued a
statement following the unfair decision of the Israeli forces to prevent
comrade Meriam Ismael from leaving Palestine. Read More [14]
TAKING AGROECOLOGY TO SCALE
_ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING PEASANT MOVEMENT IN KARNATAKA, INDIA_
This paper, produced as part of the self-study process, specifically
examines Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), a grassroots peasant
agroecology movement in Karnataka, India. ZBNF ends reliance on
purchased inputs and loans for farming, positioning itself as a solution
to extreme indebtedness and suicides among Indian farmers. A [15]CCESS
THE FULL VERSION OF THE PAPER [15]
[16]
We are the women's strike. Solidarity is our weapon. Watch Now [17]
[18]
Marco Aurelio, from MST (Brazilian Landless Workers Movement), spoke to
Newsclick on current developments in Brazil. Since the constitutional
coup in September 2016, that deposed President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's
rightwing politicians have been busy cutting allocations in social
sectors, revising labour laws and undermining the progressive
Constitution. Social movements such as MST have been in the forefront in
creating broad based progressive platforms to oppose the Temer
Government. With the rightwing increasingly losing legitimacy, Former
President Lula of the Workers Party is widely expected to win the 2018
elections. Watch Now [19]
[18]
PODCAST: _ZoominKorea_'s Julian Cho and Hyun Lee explore these questions
in our pilot podcast, which includes an exclusive interview with women
farmers in Seongju and Gimcheon-Lee Hae-kyoung, Kim Jong, Yoon Geum-soon
and Ham Soo-yeon-who have been on the front lines of the fight against
the THAAD deployment. Listen in [20]
YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE AUTONOMY OF OUR MOVEMENT
-------------------------
As a supporter who has contributed financial resources to La Via
Campesina, and as an activist who joins us on the streets and in the
fields, your support is always welcome and put to good use.
You can renew your contribution to La Via Campesina by clicking [1]here.
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[15] http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03066150.2016.1276450
[16] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOdRtcJxQeo
[17] https://tv.viacampesina.org/SolidarityIsOurWeapon?lang=en
[18] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ7bqKtHMek
[19] https://tv.viacampesina.org/Brazil-Right-Wing-Government?lang=en
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