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LUBUK JAMBI: Land disputes culminate to stabbing by RAPP Another land dispute in RAPP's concessions, this time in Southern Riau (southern corner of concession sector Cerenti), escalated in July and August 1998 when a man was stabbed to death by RAPP security guards in a demonstration. Locals were demonstrating to get their land back from APRIL. About 2000 hectares of traditional village lands (tanah ulayat) have been planted with acacia by RAPP. RAPP claims that it has the right to use land and will not hand any land back to villagers. As a result villagers have tried to cultivate their lands despite RAPP's presence. Protests arise, when RAPP stuff prevents locals entering their land. This was the case also in 15th of July. The stabbing happened during a demonstration near a village called Lubuk Jambi in 15th of July around 10 am. RAPP security forces using e.g. a bulldozer dispersed the demonstration. Villagers Hondas (scooters, motorcycles), around ten or fifteen, were destroyed. At the same time security guards started to chase demonstrators. One of the demonstrators, 32-years-old man called Rasyid, could not escape and was stabbed three times by one security guard. He died two days later in the hospital of Caltex resulting in demonstrations of hundreds of people. Both issues (destruction of Hondas and the killing) were under police investigation in the beginning of August. RAPP's regional office's official version was that security guards had found Rasyid stabbed in the street and tried to save him but it was too late. Nevertheless RAPP has promised to pay the school of Rasyid's children. Rasyid's widow was given few hectares of land to cultivate and some money. A month later villagers had blocked roads used by RAPP to transport wood from the sector Cerenti. The situation was reported to be "very hot" by student activists. Near by some oil palm plantations were burning as villagers there had had enough of companies' land deprivation. Source: Locals, student activists, local newspapers and RAPP personnel.
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