TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Clash with soldiers over disputed Kebumen land leaves farmers injured
The latest clash happened when dozens of farmers tried to stop soldiers from building fences on land claimed by both the military and the civilian farmers.
Change Size
An incomplete fence on a field. (Shutterstock/S Curtis)
A
neglected agrarian land conflict in Kebumen regency, Central Java has led to a number of clashes between farmers and soldiers, with the latest on Wednesday reportedly leaving more than a dozen farmers wounded in Brencong village
The clash happened when a group of local farmers tried to stop military personnel from building fences on land claimed by both the Army and the civilian farmers near Urut Sewu beach by Brencong village in Bulupesantren district. The dispute has gone on for decades and is still not resolved.
The lawyer representing the farmers, Teguh Purnomo, confirmed the incident took place.
“It is true. We are still doing guidance and data collecting. So far, at least 16 farmers were wounded in the incident,” Teguh told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
To file legal reports, the farmers had undergone medical examinations in the Buluspesantren community health center.
“We regret that violence should happen. The root of the problem is the agrarian land conflict neglected by the government. The military should not make the decision to build a fence on people’s land and do violence,” Teguh said.
Meanwhile, the farmers' coordinator, Imam Zuhdi, claimed that one of the wounded had been shot with a rubber bullet.
