The Fight of Moro-Moro Farmers to Defend Their Right on the Land

Presented by Rahmat Ajiguna, APC Deputy Secretary General and AGRA Secretary General at EAA-NCCP

“Advocacy Capacity Strengthening Workshop”, November 24-29, 2012 , Mandaluyong, Philippines

What is APC? • APC is an Asia-wide coalition of farmers,

landless peasants, fisherfolks, agricultural workers, dalit, indigenous peoples, herders, pastoralists, peasant women and rural youth founded in March 2003.

• It has more than 15 million members representing 33 organizations coming from 9 countries in Asia such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

• APC advocates for genuine agrarian reform and food sovereignty.

The condition of nature and people of Moro-Moro

• Geographically Moro- Moro is located in an administrative sub-district of Way Serdang, regency of Mesuji, Province of Lampung. This area can be reached in 5 hours from the capital city of South Celebes –Lampung.

• The concession of PT. Silva Abadi was obtained based on the decision of the ministry of forestry in No.93/Menhut-II/1997 dated Feb.17 1997 Jo.No.SK.322/Menhut-II/2004 dated Aug 27, 2004 to PT.Silva Inhutani Lampung given IUPHHK-HT (d/h HPHTI) for the land area of 42,762 ha in the capital city of the province Lampung.

• Moro- Moro is occupied by more/less 955 farming families or 3,518 individuals who are spread in 5 areas of villages. The people was organized in 28 groups of famers which has 18-30 people each under “The Union of Poor Farmers of Way Serdang”

• In the Moro-Moro village, there are various kinds of tribes and religions. From the largest group –Jawa, Bali, Lampung, Batak and others. The religions consist of Islam 60%, Hindu 35%, Kristen 5% and Budha. The people are able to use the local dialect or at least understand it. The diversity of the tribes has given the most valuable knowledge to the people because they can at least exchange the knowledge of language and the skill to produce.

The History of Moro-Moro People• People began to come to Moro- Moro village to till the land in 1996

and started to settle there since 1997 until now. The people has been experiencing different kind of agony and physical hardship. The most torment felt by the Moro- Moro people is how the government treated them. The government is not helping them, but instead oppose all the efforts of the farmers to till their small lands. Until this time, Moro-Moro people are not yet recognized and even evicted from one place to another. They are excluded in their very own country.

• The pre-development of land and settlement in Moro-Moro The people who stay in Moro- Moro are the victims of land grabbing by the PT. B.G Dasaad for HPH.

The development of arable land in 1996• Dozens of farmers started to enter the

Moro-moro area -which now is claimed by PT. Silva as its area of concession. The people started to develop the land which overgrown by the shrubs and was yet not developed by the company.

• During this period, the people started to till and developed the land by planting cassava and pineapple, and also built houses for them to live. Their harvest during that time were used to built their homes and different kind of other facilities.

• PT. Silva started to arrest and intimidate the people but the people resist. They occupied new area for planting in order to survive for their daily needs, where, intimidation started to heighten from time to time.

The ‘development’ of Moro-Moro village from 1997-2006

• This period, building homes are the main activity of the people. The village would not just be a place for planting but also for living permanently.

• In t2002, license given to PT.Silva was revoked by the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia for reasons that the company did not pay the concession fee, did not state its yearly plan, and did not observe the forest’ purpose as amended.

• In 2004, PT.Silva petition was granted by the Supreme Court. Even in the following year, the company that obviously did not plant the forest as amended was granted a bigger land for no logic reason at all.

• In 2006, the government of Lampung formed a team consisting of Ministry of Forestry, police, army, forest police, and others to drive our the people of Moro-Moro. They violently burned the village and arrested the people.

The establishment of a mass organization and peoples resistance (2006-2010)

• The formation of a farmer’s organization marked a new era for Moro-Moro fight. They started to be more systematic in doing propaganda and mass campaign including education campaign to strengthen their organization and its members. The result was incredible, there were many good and strong fight done.

The success achieved

• The people who belongs to PPMWS succeeded in defending 3,000 hectares of land.

• Succeed in building education facilities of Kindergarten, Elementary, and Junior high School.

Thank youAPC Secretariat office:217-B Alley 1, Road 7, Project 6Quezon City, Philippines 1100Telephone: +632-3793083Fax: +632-4352383E-mail: apcsecretariat@asianpeasant.orgWebsite: www.asianpeasant.org