"Two activist journalists found dead in North Sumatra", 5 Nov 2019

Two journalists who mediated a protracted land dispute between local residents and an oil palm plantation were found dead in…North Sumatra, their bodies riddled with stab wounds.

The victims, Maraden Sianipar and Maratua P. Siregar, worked for Pilar Indonesia Merdeka (Pindo Merdeka), a Medan-based weekly and online news portal that closed down in 2017.

But the two were better known for their activism and mediating a land dispute between residents and oil palm plantation PT Sei Alih Berombang, also known as the multi-business cooperative (KSU) Amalia…

Panai Hilir Police subprecinct head Adj Comr Budiarto said investigators indicated that the journalists' deaths were related to their activism…

Meanwhile, Labuhan Batu Police chief Adj Sr Comr Agus Darojat said there was still no strong evidence connecting the homicides to the land dispute…

Prior to his death, Sanjay was advocating for Panai Hilir residents involved in a dispute over an oil palm concession formerly under the control of KSU Amelia…

…[B]efore they were found dead, Sanjay and Maraden were planning to meet with local officials to convince them to allow farmers to use the land…