indonesian farmer's story
maintain the garden
Monday, November 7, 2022 is a fairly sunny day in Kalasey Village, Minahasa Regency. At around 06.00 WITA, dozens of farmers were on guard and gathered at the Kalasey Dua Farmers Solidarity post (SOLIPETRA). The post, which is approximately one kilo from the residential area, was made in the plantation area independently by farmers since mid-2021. This post is made with a buffer pole from reed java and roofed mixture of used zinc, remnants of billboards, banners on the ground covering an area of 10×15 m² complete with kitchen cooking place. The post which was used as a place of vigil by farmers as well as a place to huddle is the rest of the farmer's plantation area from which the ruler has seized.
That morning, the farmers took the time to worship, recite spiritual songs, pray prayers, and hope that the government could undo the intention to seize land from the farmers' lap.
Not long after the citizens worshiped, around 07:30 WITA residents began to stand by. Circulating photos and videos via WhatsApp that show hundreds of combined apparatus consisting of Brimob, Manado Police Members, and Sulut PP Satpol have lined up neatly and armed complete with batons and shields. Seven sabhara cars and a unit of water canon cars gathered at the entrance of the border Ring Road into Kalasey Dua Village.
An hour later, the farmers got word that the combined forces had gathered at the Kalasey Dua Village Office. That time, there was a representative of the farmer's legal companion who came to one of the Manado Police leaders for dialogue and requested that the eviction effort be stopped because the residents were still making legal efforts by suing SK Grant Pemrov Sulut No. 368 Years 2021 to the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy about 20 hectares of land on land that has been managed by Kalasey Dua farmers. “We also ask for a legal basis, a duty letter, and a court order for eviction, but what is the strength of their intention is already unanimous in guarding the eviction,” said the author at the time. “No one protests, we run the country duty,” replied a police officer.
Their capital at that time was only a uniform armed with a bat and language that claimed us law enforcement.
At around 09.30 WITA, dozens of police officers and Satpol PP had entered the plantation area escorting heavy equipment. Residents then do the backup by blocking the entrance with banana tree trunks, wood, and rocks. However, the effort did not last long. The officers managed to break in. Seeing that, the farmers put up a body. Mothers are on the front lines holding hands. The situation at that time began to grieve.
The police began to act repressive. They tried to break in until there was a push-push between the police officers and the citizens. It appears that police intel in plainclothes began to act rudely and pull one by one the accused provocateurs.
“Prophet with ngana!” (You pig!)
The word of the mockery came out of the mouth of one of the police officers aimed at the mothers of farmers who asked the police not to be rude and stop the eviction efforts.
“This is a legal country, anyone who fights will be dealt with firmly,” shouted a police officer with a loudspeaker in the command car.
Farmers are still working on the backup. The efforts of representatives of farmers in dialogue in a familial manner are completely ignored by the apparatus.
Before noon, the combined apparatus increasingly brutal, members of Brimob and Manado Police directed the muzzle throwing tear gas towards the crowd. Residents scattered run away in a mess to hold the pain in the eyes.
That time, there were some residents who sat lined up on the road to drive heavy equipment into the plantation area that was hit by tear gas directed directly at the farmer and directly hit one of the farmer's mothers. The mother fainted at that time.
As if they were not citizens, the farmers were driven away, tortured, humiliated, and beaten - not least children and mothers. Wailing mothers pleaded that the land was not evicted with tear gas. That afternoon screams and cries for help rang out loud into the Kalasey air.
“God, please do not.” (Lord, help us)
“Oh. pak Jokowi lia akang patorang farmer-farmers Kalasey.” (Oh, sir Jokowi, pay attention to us Kalasey farmers)
*
The day will be remembered as a dark day for the farmers of Kalasey Dua Village. Farmers land was destroyed. The post of struggle was smashed flat on the ground. A total of 48 people were secured. Eight peasants were subjected to persecution ranging from beatings with bare hands, batons, and shields. Farmers were curled, scratched, kicked, trampled, and chided with harsh words. Four of the victims were women, two of them elderly.
That day we saw the cruel and cruel faces of the officers. From the look on his face, they look happy and proud to succeed in carrying out the task of depriving farmers of living space. Without a basic legal notice, they barged in. In the name of the state, they say that farmers who fight means disobedience of the law and deserve punishment.
The words came out of Agustina Lombone (64), familiarly called Oma Ndio when LBH Manado with several farmers were sitting in the courtyard of the house of one of the residents in Kalasey on February 4, 2023.
Post-eviction, the life of farmer Kalasey Two is uncertain. Some are traumatized, as if it had been the destiny of farmers considered to be benalu for development. Even until now ahead of 5 months of eviction, children who were at the scene claimed to be afraid to see the police. His initial desire to become a police officer was lost because he saw the cruelty of the police at that time.
“Christmas end of 2022 people face a big ordeal,” (Christmas end of 2022, we face a big ordeal) complained Oma Ndio. “Amper every night oma pray while crying for God open the way for farmers.” (Nearly every night the oma prayed and cried for God to open the way for the farmer)
Oma Ndio is one of the most diligent farmers to fight for plantations in Kalasey Dua Village not evicted. Various efforts have been made by farmers to get plantation land recognized by the government ranging from applying to the provincial government to applying for land as a land reform object in the central government. But the government always turned away.
From the narration of the farmers, they have been hereditary to cultivate and control the plantation land. Oma Ndio himself stated that he was already the third descendant who managed the land. The land he worked on was the legacy of the grandfather who managed since the 1930s. For decades he and his family and posterity have survived with the results obtained from the garden.
For the peasants, they were like played, caught between the circles of interests of the ruler. Some suspect that the land grab experienced by Kalasey residents during this time involves mafia land that is maintained in government circles from the province to the lowest level.
In the year 2020 during the Covid-19 period, when farmers were squeezed economically due to the pandemic, they were once asked by the local village authorities to deposit Rp250,000.00 (two hundred and fifty thousand rupiah) per head of the family to measure the land with the promise after that the certificate will be issued. The nominal is calculated per field of land. If there is a family that has two plots of land, the calculation is done multiples of money to be paid. Approximately 100 families who deposit money to the village government. However, it does not bring results. Until now the village government has never accounted for the money paid by residents.
“When there was someone to borrow doi because of the lure of the certificate,” (At that time, there were people who borrowed money because they received certificates) said Mami, one of the villagers of Kalasey Dua.
“The government of kase village let pa torang, even dorang support tillang pe garden was evicted,” (The village government let us, even they support until the farmer's garden is evicted),” continued Om Bering, a resident, a local, infuriated.
*
The eviction itself is lined with Decree Number 368 of 2021 on the Implementation of Regional Property Grants of the North Sulawesi Provincial Government in the form of 20 hectares of land in Kalasey Dua Village to the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy the 9th of November 2021. This grant was awarded to build the Tourism Polytechnic.
This project is ambitious to build a Tourism Polytechnic to support the National Strategic Project of Special Economic Zone Tourism in Likupang, North Minahasa Regency.
The Governor of North Sulawesi said several times, the presence of Tourism Polytechnic in North Sulawesi is a must to support the Tourism SEZ which is predicted to be a super priority tourist destination in Indonesia.
The move of the Governor of North Sulawesi, Olly Dondokambey to build a tourism campus to build HR and bring massive social and economic changes in North Sulawesi. The question is what kind of human resources will be produced if the construction has to displace local residents and sacrifice hundreds of Kalasey Dua farmers?
“Who the governor nda kase grant he has a land of sandiri, the governor of the land of many sampe seven descendants nda mo abis-abis,” (Why the Governor does not grant his own land, the land owned by the Governor is very much up to seven descendants will not run out) said Oma Ndio.
“He is the richest governor in Indonesia and treasurer of the ruling party!,” sahut author.
“This government so ambe kebong, the same as dorang so kill pa torang,” (If the government has robbed our garden, the same as they have killed farmers) said oma Ndio in a high tone.
To this day, the eviction process is still ongoing. More than five hectares of farmland have been removed. It will continue to grow because the development process is being ramped up by the government. The piles are already standing, almost 10 heavy equipment works every day dredging farmers' land, complete with the security of police and Babinsa.
