Rm, 2, 2nd Floor, 25-B Matiyaga Street, Central District, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel: +632-3793083 * E-mail: apcsecretariat@asianpeasant.org

December 19, 2011

TO:
Hon. Governor  H. Ahmad Heryawan
Jl. Diponegoro No. 22 Bandung
Phone number: +62224204483
Fax Number: +62224236347

Hon. Regent Dadang M Naser
Regency Bandung Government
Jl. Raya Soreang No. 141, Bandung – Jawa Barat
Phone number: +62225891004

Hon. Joyo Winoto
National Land Body
Jl. Sisingamangaraja No. 2, Jakarta Selatan
Fax: +62217262381

Hon. Drs. H. Teddy Rukfiadi
West Java Land Body
Jl. Soekarno Hatta No. 586 Bandung-Jawa Barat
Phone number: +62227562056
Fax: +62227562057

Hon. Esti Prajoko
Regency Bandung Land Office
Komplek Perkantoran Pemda Kabupaten Dati 2
Bandung Jawa Barat
Phone number:  +62225891808
Fax: +62225891811

Chief  Ajun Komisaris Ibnu Setiawan, SH
Pangalengan Level Police
Jl. Raya Pangalengan No. 39 PANGALENGAN
Kabupaten Bandung, Jawa Barat
Phone number:  +62225979110 or  +6222597-9300

Chief  AKBP SONY SONJAYA, SIK
Regency Bandung Police:
Jl. Bhayangkara No. 1, Soreang
Kabupaten Bandung, Jawa Barat
Email: polres_bandung.soreang@yahoo.com

Chief Drs. PUTUT EKO BAYUSENO, SH
West Java Region Police:
Jl. Soekarno-Hatta 748, Bandung – Jawa Barat
Phone number:  +62227800011

Director ASEP SUNARYA
PDAP
Jl Malabar 62, Babakansari, Kiaracondong
BANDUNG, Jawa Barat  40283
Phone:  +622 7308812 , +622 7308813 , +622 7308814
Fax:  +622 7308814


TO ALL CONCERNED PARTIES:

We, the undersigned officers and leaders of the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) would like to call your attention on the case of harassment and intimidation against our members in Pangalengan, Bandung Regency, West Java Province of Indonesia.

The  Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) is an Asia-wide peasant coalition of farmers, landless peasants, fisherfolks, agricultural workers, dalit, indigenous peoples, herders, pastoralists, peasant women and rural youth.  The APC has 33 organizational members with over 15 million membership in nine (9) countries in Asia such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia,  Pakistan, Mongolia, Philippines and Indonesia. The APC has also wide international network in Africa , Europe, and Latin America.

During the APC Coordinating Council Meeting in Kolkata, India on December 7, 2011, Mr. Rahmat Ajiguna, the Secretary General of AGRA and also the Deputy Secretary General of the APC reported on the Pangalengan farmers struggle for land and the harassment and intimidation perpetrated by the PDAP (Provincial Government Company on Agribusiness and Mining) in Pangalengan and the Regency Bandung Police.

The land conflict started when the PDAP (Provincial Government Company on Agribusiness and Mining) itself is intensifying landlessness. The PDAP is said to be allowing local landlord or rich farmers to rent their so-called ‘lands’ because they cannot cultivate it. However, this practice is not allowed by the law. Ancestors of Pangalengan peasant has been tilling the land, called Sampalan, before the Dutch established its power in 1602. When the Dutch came, they grabbed the land from the farmers. When the Dutch rule ended, the government of Indonesia  continue the landgrabbing. And the rest is history.

In 2004, Pangalengan’s peasant succeeded in re-claiming their right to land in 134 hectares in  Sampalan. They continue in cultivating the land, under the banner of AGRA, and planted with vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, corn, banana, and chili.  Since then, the PDAP, police and the military started intimidation and violence against the Pangalengan peasants.

On October 24, 2011, in the afternoon, the PDAP, civilian, LPM RI, Pangalengan District Police, Military Headquarters at Ward Level of Pangalengan, Regency Bandung Police, tried to put a boundary pole in the Sampalan land that is cultivated by the peasants. The AGRA farmers defended their lands and clashed with the  PDAP supporters including the Pangalengan District Police and the Military Headquarters at Ward Level of Pangalengan, Regency Bandung Police.

On November 30, Regency Bandung police sent hundreds of policeman to Pangalengan to ‘secure’ the PDAP to mark the land: Once again the AGRA farmers in Pangalegan succeeded in defending their land. The police pulled-out on December 1,2011 from Pangalengan and stated that they will arrest the provocateurs, meaning, AGRA members. This statement clearly defines that the criminalization of peasants fighting for genuine land reform will continue to ensure the PDAP langrabbing.

WE SUPPORT the struggle of the Pangalengan people and we DEMAND the following:
1.    STOP the harassment and intimidation against the leaders and members of AGRA in Pangalengan;
2.    DE-LIST the names of four (4) AGRA Pangalengan members such as  Momo, Yana, Ubus and Yaya as suspects in the notorious Articles 160 and 170 Criminal Code; and
3.    IMPLEMENT the genuine land reform and the recognition of the peasants right to land.

On behalf of the APC Leaders and Members,


(Sgd) FATHIMA BURNAD
APC Chairperson (India)




(Sgd) IRENE FERNANDEZ
APC Vice-chairperson for Internal Affairs



(Sgd) BADRUL ALAM
APC Vice-chairperson for External Affairs and
BKF President (Bangladesh)



(Sgd) DANILO RAMOS
APC Secretary General and
KMP Secretary General (Philippines)



(Sgd) RAHMAT AJIGUNA
APC Deputy Secretary General and
AGRA Secretary General (Indonesia)







(Sgd) BALARAM BANSKOTA
APC Treasurer and
ANPFA Deputy Secretary General (Nepal)



(Sgd) P. CHENNAIAH
Member, APC Coordinating Council and
APVVU General Secretary (India)


(Sgd) ZENAIDA SORIANO
Member, APC Coordinating Council and
AMIHAN National Chairperson (Philippines)



(Sgd) BIPLAB HALIM
Indian Federation of Toiling Peasants (IFTOP)




(Sgd) ABDUL MAZID
BAFLF General Secretary (Bangladesh)