Farmers bring bananas, cassava and coconuts to settle 3 billion rupiah fine
BENGKULU (Indonesia): Unable to pay a 3 billion rupiah (about RM688,000) fine, three farmers brought agricultural produce such as bananas, cassava and coconuts to court as payment after they were accused of cultivating land belonging to a palm oil company, reports said.
Three farmers from Bengkulu, Indonesia, Harapandi, Rasuli, and Ibnu Amin, brought bananas, cassava, and coconuts to court as payment for a 3 billion rupiah fine. The fine was imposed after they were accused of cultivating land belonging to a palm oil company. The dispute began in 2005, when they discovered that large areas of oil palm plantations had been abandoned.
The farmers asked the company if the land was covered by its cultivation rights, but were told it was not. They proceeded to cultivate the land, only to have it later claimed as part of the company's cultivation rights. Their huts, crops, and eviction followed. Despite initially being ordered to pay 1.3 billion rupiah, the fine was increased to 3 billion rupiah at the Supreme Court after an appeal.
Unable to pay the fine in cash, the farmers brought their agricultural produce to the court as payment.
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