Fact finding team reports human rights problem in Mesuji

The Mesuji killing case joint fact finding team reported on Monday that it had found indications of human rights problems in Register 45 and Sri Tanjung village in Lampung and Sodong village in South Sumatera.

“We will make sure that human rights issues related to legal assistance, health, education and citizenship will be resolved,” fact finding team chief Denny Indrayana said in a press conference on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

He said that, prior to the press conference the team had attended a meeting with Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan and National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo.

In the meeting, the team reported their findings, which confirmed a long-running land dispute in Mesuji and that only nine people were killed in the clash that involved local residents, the plantation company, the local administration and the police officers.

Denny said that the team also passed on several recommendations to the ministers, such as taking quicker legal action on the perpetrators of the killing, while also providing legal assistance to the suspects to ensure a fair legal process.

The Mesuji killings have come under the media spotlight after a delegation of local residents came to the House of Representatives Commission III on Dec. 14. The delegation showed lawmakers a purported video of killings in the area, including a beheading.

The group claimed that at least 32 people had been killed since 2008 as part of violence between Mesuji villagers and palm oil companies. (awd)