Seruyan’s Peatland Terror

Posted under real circumstance, source will be published and will not claimed as its own writing

Ditulis oleh M. Djauhari, translated by Sutrisno
3 Village's Natai in Jeopardy

After 3 state court trials, 6 of (WSSL) PT Wana Sawit Subur Lestari convicts, accused conducting palm oil plant destruction, the company itself at this time by law has only hold principle and location permission (there haven't been issued about utilization and management permission right), finally has come for the court pronouncement.

Those six villagers known as Ra, Os, Mu, Mg, Ma and Da are parts of Seruyan peat indigenous community, Tanjung Hanau Village, District of Seruyan - Central Kalimantan. Each one of them declared staying incarcerated for 6 months, until the statement they will spend another 1, 5 months behind bars.

Masrun (35), from Palingkau Village, which still have close adat relationship with those 6 sentences told this to KpSHK during his participation on 2 days of The Indonesia's Peat Land Community Festival, held at Salak Hotel "The heritage" - Bogor in this 21 - 22 April.

"The sawit yang out, have been conducted on our own natai (natai: peat land area which has been declared within the Dayak Iban's community has its right to those who open and manage the area to their own heir, red). We have been live above this natai for years. When there is time for us to cultivate the natai by replanting it, we found out that someone has planted it with sawit", said Masrun

Since 2006, 300 ha of peat land area which have the natai right belongs to 3 indigenous village in Seruyan's water catchments area which are; Palingkau Village, Tanjung Hanau Village, and Ulak Batu Villages, presumed to be permitted to PT. KUCC (Kharisma Unggul Centraltama Cemerlang), which by 2007 they hand it over the right as a principle and location permission to PT. WSSL (Wana Sawit Subur Lestari).

"The captivity conducted in their natai in early 2009. The company itself has only hold the principle and location permission. The community only wants 43 ha of the area, and it has to be returned to the community" declared Oeban Hajo from Pokker SHK (Kelompok Kerja Sistem Hutan Kerakyatan or Working Group on the Community Based Forest Management) while facilitating Masrun and Dahlidin (head of Ulak Batu Village).

Other information, the expansion of palm oil in 3 of Seruyan indigenous village's natai has also encroached into the Tanjung Puting National Park Area. Based on the Oeban's statements, OFI (Orangutan Foundation International) have informed that the development and expansion of this palm oil plantation within 1 km of main road have destroyed the peat land area inside the national park.

since the captivity of their 6 indigenous community member in Seruyan's peat area this January 2009, have been discouraged them to do their farm and live in their own heir's natai.(tJong & Nino)