T

he government has assigned a team to end a land dispute between the residents of 22 subdistricts in five districts in Ogan Ilir regency, South Sumatra and state-owned plantation PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VII.

The move was taken following a meeting between local residents and PT Perkebunan, which was facilitated by the South Sumatra provincial administration, the National Land Agency (BPN), the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, the National Police and the Prosecutor'€™s Office.

'€œWe'€™re optimistic we can resolve the case for the sake of the people'€™s interests. The verification process will end a problem that has existed for three years,'€ South Sumatra provincial administration secretary Mukti Sulaiman said on Wednesday.

He said the land dispute, which lead to the death of 14-year-old boy Angga Prima in July 2012, had been a lesson for the administration to not take repressive action against people in attempts to settle the conflict.

Ogan Ilir community spokesperson Rusdi said the people had prepared evidence, including witnesses and maps, to prove that the 6,415 hectares of was theirs before PTPN VII came to their region in 1982.

'€œWe'€™ve managed the land since 1960. We were forced to surrender the land as we were threatened that some of us would not receive compensation, or if we did, we would be compensated below the market price,'€ Rusdi said.

National Farmer Federation chairman Yoris Sindu Sunarjan, who is supervising the local residents, said the people demanded that the government pay attention to those living below the poverty line.

'€œThey just want to have decent jobs and want to enjoy life like people in other regions,'€ Yoris said.

Separately, PTPN VII Cinta Manis general manager Asep Jayanti denied the land in dispute covered 6,415 hectares.

'€œThere'€™s only one person who has not yet received compensation as there has not been conformity regarding that area of land,'€ said Asep.

He said according to his company'€™s data, the area to be compensated was 3.86 hectares while the individual claimed it was 17 hectares.

'€œThe person never reported to us that he had not received compensation,'€ said Adep, adding that the company was ready to follow the planned verification process.

Of the 20,263 hectares of land managed by TPN VII, only 6,512 hectares reportedly already had right-to-cultivate land (HGU) certificates.

The verification team'€™s secretary, Royke Lumowa, expressed optimism that verification process was a strategic step to end the conflict.

'€œVerification is an effective way of bringing land disputes to an end. Previously, the system was applied in Sungai Sodong, Mesuji, Lampung,'€ said Royke, adding that people had received Rp 1.120 billion in compensation for 28.09 hectares of land at that time.