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In May 2007, a new investment law has been enacted by the government of Indonesia. Civil society acknowledges that this Act no 25 / 2007 is in opposition with Indonesia Independence Constitution. Many of its articles are not on the behalf of the people and tend to aggravate people lives. For example, one part of the articles prolongs land-usage concession from 25 years up to 90 years.
Thus on Thursday, July 5th 2007, Bina Desa as part of the coalition which refuses this regulation, together with other organizations registered for judicial review. This coalition, called Gerak Lawan, people’s movement against neocolonialism and imperialism, demanding to abate this law. While waiting for lawyers to register the case, around 300 people were demonstrating outside the building and held people tribunal.
In the joint statement there are three major fallacy of this law.
- This regulation is not on the behalf of national interest but rather serving the concerns of capital internationalization. This regulation is also against the constitution of The Republic of Indonesia by facilitating foreign capital to overrule people-dependent productions.
- This regulation does not protect Indonesian people right to work, particularly labors that are easily being ceased from work due to factory adjournment.
- This regulation aggravates economic, social and cultural rights violation which were done by state and non state actor specifically corporation.
Other than demanding the abatement, the coalition also urge government to build an independent national economy for people’s welfare by implementing true agrarian reform and build a strong national industry in regard to constitutional mandate.
Janadesh 2007 updates from Ekta Parishad
The 25th of June was the D-100 for Janadesh. Therefore, Ekta Parishad has organized a sit-in and a fasting to remind the Indian Government about the land issues that need to be solved across the country. Otherwise, the hundreds of tribals present for the fasting will tell the government that they will face 25 000 marchers of Janadesh in October 2007.
For this special day, we are please to send you the 2nd Newsletter “Janadesh Zindabad!”, which will show you a review of Janadesh events, past and future, in India and around the globe. You will also find other information relative to the land issues in India.
In solidarity,
Anaïs & Samuel
International Communication of Janadesh 2007, Ekta Parishad
PS: As you may know, Ekta Parishad is a member of SAPA (South Asia Peace Alliance). This year, the movement is organizing a regional media workshop in August for young journalists from South Asian Countries, at Gwalior-Madhya Pradesh. This workshop will be themed on Non-violent Transformation and the role of media in the age of violence and terror. If you are interested, you are most welcome.
Please contact Sushil Kumar:
secretariat.sapa@gmail.com
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Janadesh 2007
2/3A, Basement, Jangpura A-Block
New Delhi 110014 – INDIA
+91 011-23550801
www.janadesh.net
Philip Gain graciously photo-documented the Strategic Planning Meeting on the Land Watch Asia Campaign including the interface of the participants with farmers in Tuy, Batangas. These photos are available on Land Watch Asia’s Multiply site http://landwatchasia.multiply.com and will soon be available on Flickr. So to Philip Gain, a big thank you!
Land Watch Asia is a two – year campaign that aims to map peoples’ access to land in the region by reviewing existing political and legal frameworks; initiatives and mechanisms for participation by various actors in governance processes. Aside from presenting the “lay of the land,” it also intends to take stock of social movements and civil society actions which have attempted to facilitate the communities’ access to land.
Advocacies and campaigns for equitable land distribution; access to resources and services; meaningful participation in governance process and the exercise of a range of human rights in general have been ongoing for decades. While Land Watch Asia similarly surfaces challenges and opportunities in affording access to land, it aims to do so while taking into account the significant changes which have taken place in the last few years.
Among them is the globalization phenomenon which has created new processes and issues which to some extent expanded, if not overshadowed work on the more basic issues such as those relating to access to land. Free trade agreements and the WTO’s Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property, for instance have had a profound effect the farmers’ practices and productivity, thus adding a burden in their struggle on land ownership.
The parallel struggle towards the indigenous peoples’ rights access to their ancestral domains dovetails with that of the farming sector. However this has not always resulted in solidarities with the farmers. Instead it even led to the eruption of conflict among already marginalized groups
Land Watch Asia also zooms in its lens to innovative governance processes in improving current situations of access to land. These processes have largely been informed by a multi-stakeholder approach which have also emerged in recent years and have been seen as the development of a horizontal relationship of actors such as the government, private sector, civil society including donor agencies, working on different issues.
Based on this review of structures, processes, capacities and resources, Land Watch Asia would identify common issues and strategies which can be further collectively pursued and strengthened, as part of the long-standing struggle towards access to land.
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