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Ex-Gafatar members complain of discrimination in Surakarta
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Laywer Badrus Zaman (right) speaks at a press conference, demanding the government ensures no further discrimination against his clients, hundreds of former Fajar Nusantara Movement (Gafatar) members, in Surakarta on Oct. 17. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
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undreds of former members of controversial group Fajar Nusantara Movement (Gafatar) in Surakarta, Central Java, has demanded the government stop the discrimination against them.
“We want the government to fulfill its promise. It said we will be regarded as equals with other citizens and not be discriminated against. But we are encountering difficulties in administration processes in our neighborhoods,” Harmanto, 43, a former Gafatar member said Monday in a press conference.
He said former Gafatar members—labelled by religious authorities as “deviant”—found it hard, for example, to acquire letters of domicile from their respective neighborhood, community, subdistrict and district heads. Some other members claimed they were being ping-ponged around when making an ID card.
The former Gafatar members formed a new group called the Communication Forum of Evicted Independent Farmers. The forum’s lawyer, Badrus Zaman, urged Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo to settle these problems. He cited the Constitution, in which Article 28(I) stipulates that the government is obliged to protect, improve and fulfill the citizens’ human rights.
“Everyone is entitled to protection for themselves, their family, their honor and their property. This includes former Gafatar members, no exception,” Badrus said.
He said his clients were forced to leave Kalimantan, where they had started working on agriculture. They bought the land from locals, but were evicted before they could harvest. “They left at least 120 motorcycles, four cars, and hundreds of hectares of land belonging to members originally from Surakarta,” Badrus went on. “Now that they are here, they cannot even get an ID card.” (evi)
