“Komnas HAM demands farmers’ rights be upheld”, 10 January 2015

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has urged the North Sumatra provincial administration and police to get involved and uphold the rights of members of the Padang Halaban farming community in a land dispute with PT Sinar Mas Agro-Resource and Technology (SMART) in North Labuhan Batu regency, North Sumatra…[Komnas HAM Commissioner Dianto said] that Komnas HAM had asked PT SMART to be transparent and accountable in every activity carried out by the company in resolving the dispute and to develop its plasma farm spanning at least 20 percent of its concession area by involving residents in Padang Halaban and Panigoran villages. Komnas HAM also specifically urged the police not to get involved in intimidation of residents in either village… The land dispute between the residents and PT SMART has been ongoing since 1969 when residents claimed the 3,000 hectares of land they had cultivated since 1945 were taken over by the company…