ANOTHER DEATH AT PERHUTANI'S HANDS: VILLAGER SHOT IN EAST JAVA TEAK FOREST

From Lidah Tani, a local NGO based in Blora, East Java, Indonesia, which supports forest farmers.

Dear friends

We are sending you a letter protesting strongly against violence perpetrated by forest rangers employed by the state forestry company Perhutani. Please distribute it widely. For more details, please contact us
by emails at lidahtani@gmail.org.

LETTER OF PROTEST ABOUT KILLINGS OF VILLAGERS FROM THE FOREST FRINGE BY PERHUTANI

Yaimin was shot dead by forest security forces in teak plantations in Perhutani's Madiun sector on Tuesday 6th May 2008. He received 4 bullet wounds in the chest. He was suspected, with others, of being involved in illegal logging. His friends deny this and say he was alone in the forest. Four bullets for one man!

Less than two weeks previously, on 23rd April 2008, three people who were looking for wood in Perhutani teak plantations in the Bojonegoro sector were also shot. Two died and one is still in a critical condition.

Forest protection is certainly an important issue and Perhutani has recently been vigorously promoting its Joint Forest Management programme (Pengeloaan Hutan Bersama Masyarakat, PHBM) as a means of involving communities in forest management and protection.

Is joint management the right term when the forestry company has seized control of community forests? Perhutani harvests the timber while local people have prepared the land and planted and tended the trees for decades if not centuries. What is the meaning of 'joint management' when Perhutani shoots people to protect forests and members of the community are its victims?

Few people are aware that Cipto, one of the men recently killed in the Bojonegoro teak plantation, was a member of the Forest Village Community Association - an organisation established to work with Perhutani through its Joint Forest Management programme. Death was the reward for this peasant farmer who was looking for wood.

The earth had not settled on the victims' graves when the head of the Bojonegoro plantation sector announced plans to promote staff responsible for the shootings. "These seven forest guards have fulfilled their duties to protect the forest," he said. No less than Indonesia's forestry minister, M.S. Kaban, sent a text to support the administrator's decision. Promotion for killing villagers!

We are sick to death of the violence used by Perhutani and its forest guards. In the name of protecting state assets, they arrogantly beat up, shoot and kill people from villages on the forest margins those who are poor and oppressed.

Since 1998, we have recorded over 100 acts of violence carried out by Perhutani's security forces. 100 victims of efforts to protect forests from the communities who are its rightful owners! 31 deaths and 69 people who were beaten up or shot by forest guards in order that the state-owned forestry company can calmly continue to make its annual profits? These forests do not belong to any company. They are not Perhutani's property. They belong to the people communities whose property was seized over a
hundred years ago by the Dutch and never returned to them.

We demand that justice is done. The perpetrators of murder and human rights violations must be sought out, tried and given appropriate sentences.

We call on all parties to stop all forms of violence and for a forest protection system without guns.

We urge all farmers' groups and community organisations to stop all forms of cooperation with Perhutani. Starting from today! Don't wait for the next victim!