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N. Sumatra road project uses customary land, faces opposition from locals
In a demonstration against the road projects, several mothers even stripped off their clothes in an encounter with police officers, protesting the government's decision.
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View from Samosir Island of Lake Toba. (Shutterstock/-)
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onstruction work for a highway project reportedly taking place on customary land in Sigapiton, Toba Samosir regency, North Sumatra, has triggered a clash between residents and security personnel.
The planned development of a 1.9-kilometer-long and 18-meter-wide road is being carried out by the Lake Toba Authority Agency (BPODT).
The highway will connect the Kaldera Nomadic Escape Toba tourist site, which the BPODT had just completed, with Batu Silali and construction was initially slated to kick off this month.
Last week, a number of BPODT officials, accompanied by military and police personnel, started collecting data of trees located on the affected customary land belonging to locals for compensation purposes.
However, locals who disagreed with the planned development prevented the officials from doing their work. In a demonstration against the road projects recently, several mothers even stripped off their clothes in an encounter with police officers, protesting the government's decision to build the highway.
Local community figure Casandra Sinaga, 70, said the government should discontinue the development of the highway until the state recognized local people’s ownership of the customary land.
“We say ‘no’ to the development of the road on our customary land. The activity must be stopped until a settlement is made for the conflict over the land,” Casandra Sinaga told The Jakarta Post recently.
