New agrarian law expected to curb farmer criminalization
Farmers urge the government to swiftly implement the law by, among other measures, forming an agrarian reform agency as mandated by the new legislation, while law enforcement agencies are also urged to adopt an agrarian justice perspective in looking at land dispute cases.
The Jakarta Post reports that a newly passed agrarian reform law aims to curb the criminalization of farmers and agrarian activists in Indonesia. The law, which was passed by the House of Representatives on September 22 and implemented swiftly, is expected to strengthen land rights by fairly redistributing land, resolving agrarian conflicts, and protecting beneficiaries including farmers, fishers, and indigenous people.
Civil groups and lawmakers have long called for an end to the repression and criminalization of farmers, particularly those defending their land against corporations. The new law is seen as a step towards addressing these issues, but civil groups urge the government to ensure its implementation.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
