"It is not true that massacres have occurred leaving 30 people dead in Mesuji. Only two have died," Agus Harahap said at a meeting with local administration officials and members of the Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) who came to the sub-district to check the truth of the report.
Harahap said the report had given a bad impression on the image of Mesuji sub-district.
"Everyone has seen Mesuji as a scary place because of the incorrect reporting. In view of that I asked all media to correct their news reporting," he said.
Other community leader, Andri, asked all parties to see the problem in Mesuji as a whole which is an agrarian dispute.
"Villagers only ask for justice namely being allowed to toil the land in Mesuji as a third party," he said.
After holding the dialog with local administration officials and villagers members of the Commission III then inspected the Register 45 area in Tugu Roda, Pekat Raya, Simpang Pematang sub-district in Mesuji.
The location is the area that farmers have re-occupied after they were being evicted by enforcement law officers and security personnel from PT Silva Inhutani eaely in September, 2011.
The farmers came to the location on Thursday (December 15) to fight "their land".
On the location Commission III members called on all farmers to entrust the case to them and to avoid anarchy.
The Commission III members also visited the Mesuji sub-district in South Sumatra also for a fact finding purpose with regard to the report.
Several farmers from Mesuji led by their laywer and their representative came to Commission III recently to report about the killings of villagers in Mesuji. (*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
