Via Info EN March 2017

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[Info EN] Peasants’ houses in Mekar Jaya - the ‘‘hometown of agrarian reform’’ in Indonesia - razed to the ground
by La Via Campesina 31 Mar '17

31 Mar '17

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: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/human-rights-… [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

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[Info EN] Call to mobilise on #17April - Int'l Day of Peasant Struggles!
by La Via Campesina 24 Mar '17

24 Mar '17

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-apr… [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

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[Info EN] La Via Campesina | e-Newsletter | Feb 2017
by La Via Campesina 14 Mar '17

14 Mar '17

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. [1] [21] Follow us on twitter [21] [22] Find us on Facebook [22] [23] Subsribe our Vimeo Channel [23] To unsubscribe from the distribution list click here [2] For questions or comments, email LVCWEB(a)VIACAMPESINA.ORG WEBSITE: www.viacampesina.org [24] TV: www.tv.viacampesina.org [25] To subscribe to this newsletter - Click Here [2] Links: ------ [1] https://viacampesina.org/en/donations/ [2] https://mail.viacampesina.org/lists/listinfo/Via-info-en [3] https://www.facebook.com/pg/viacampesinaOFFICIAL/photos/?tab=album&albu… [4] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/actions-and-events-mainmenu-26/stop-f… [5] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/news-from-the-regions-mainmenu-29/223… [6] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/food-sovereig… [7] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/actions-and-events-mainmenu-26/stop-f… [8] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/news-from-the-regions-mainmenu-29/223… [9] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/news-from-the-regions-mainmenu-29/223… [10] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/actions-and-events-mainmenu-26/10-yea… [11] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/biodiversity-… [12] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/actions-and-events-mainmenu-26/stop-t… [13] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/women-mainmen… [14] https://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/main-issues-mainmenu-27/women-mainmen… [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 [20] https://tv.viacampesina.org/PODCAST-South-Korean-Women-Farmers?lang=en [21] http://www.twitter.com/via_campesina [22] https://www.facebook.com/viacampesinaOFFICIAL/ [23] https://vimeo.com/viacampesina [24] http://www.viacampesina.org [25] http://www.tv.viacampesina.org

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Via Info EN March 2017