In the Name of Development

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Some major infrastructure development plans of President Joko Widodo, as described in over a dozen Strategic National Projects in several provinces, have been accused of leading to some human rights violations. Land conflicts could have been avoided if the government did not place the economic agenda above the fundamental rights of the populace.

Residents of Sigapiton village, in Toba Samosir Regency, North Sumatra, in a face-off with heavy equipment of the Lake Toba Authority Board, last September. Facebook.com/The Agrarian Reform Consortium. tempo : 173057173729.

GOVERNMENT'S obsession to transform Lake Toba into a world-class tourism destination has become a nightmare for the residents of Sigapiton village. Rather than benefitting from the plan, hundreds of villagers were forced to leave the land they have lived on for generations. This has led to unrest, and over the past year clashes have frequently taken place between residents and security forces at this village located on the eastern side of Lake Tob

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