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Commissions suspect rights violations in police handling of Jambi land dispute
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) and the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) have monitored the arrests of 59 members of the Batanghari Independent Union (SMB) in Jambi, citing concerns of violence against women and children
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span>The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) and the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) have monitored the arrests of 59 members of the Batanghari Independent Union (SMB) in Jambi, citing concerns of violence against women and children.
The commissioners from the three institutions visited the Jambi Police headquarters last week to check whether the arrests of the SMB members had followed correct procedures.
Adriana Venny from Komnas Perempuan said the organization had monitored the case from Aug. 20 to 24, in which the commissioners interviewed alleged victims and witnesses and had found an indication that torture had been used by the Mobile Brigade unit of the police force during the two waves of arrests.
“During the arrests, the members’ wives and children were also brought to the office [of a private company involved in the land dispute] and had to watch their husbands or fathers being tortured. They are traumatized, scared and worried about the condition of their children [who were later separated from the parents],” Adriana said.
She said her institution had found indications of economic, social and cultural rights violations, violations of eviction protocols and violations of civil and political rights.
Komnas Perempuan has asked the Jambi Police to investigate officers who had allegedly violated Law No. 5/1998 on the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
“We’re asking for the regional administration to implement Presidential Regulation No. 18/2014 on women and children protection during social conflicts,” she went on.
She called on the administration to investigate the roots of conflict between SMB members and PT Wirakarya Sakti, a supplier for giant paper producer Asia Pulp and Paper (APP).
Jambi Police general crime director Sr. Comr. M. Edi Faryadi said the police had disclosed all information to representatives from the three commissions. “I hope we did everything right,” he said.
The 59 members of SMB had been detained in Jambi Police’s detention center. SMB’s leader, Muslim, and the members were accused of theft and illegal possession of firearms.
Jambi Prosecutor’s Office’s spokesperson Lexy Patharani said on Aug. 30 that his office had just returned the dossiers to the police because they deemed them not ready to go to trial.
Besides theft and illegal possession of firearms, the 59 people were accused of nine assaults from April 2018 to June this year. The latest incident was last month, when they allegedly attacked security personnel as well as damaged company property in Mersam subdistrict, Batanghari regency.
Called an armed criminal group (KKB) by the police, SMB had been involved in a land dispute with the company over 3,142 hectares of land in the province for years.
The police believed Muslim and his wife Deli Fitri were "provocateurs" of conflicts between the people, the company and the security apparatus.
The police also received a report from a man who claimed to be Muslim's victim. Sobirin from Tebo regency said Muslim told him to pay Rp 10 million (US$711.64) to receive 3.5 ha of land. Apparently, he received only 1.5 ha full of acacia trees. Muslim told him to cut down all the trees and threatened Sobirin if he failed to do so, Sobirin said as quoted by Antara on July 24. (evi)
