On 7 November 2022, joint forces of Manado City Police and North Sulawesi Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) forcibly evicted the people of Kalasey Village, Mandolang District, Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi Province. The eviction was carried out by at least 100 members of Manado Police consisting of Sabhara, Polwan, Brimob and Resmob units, and at least 40 members of North Sulawesi Satpol PP.
During the forced eviction, Manado Police and Satpol PP members committed violence against members of the community, releasing tear gas and making arbitrary arrests. Eight farmers were beaten with bare hands, clubs, and shields, forcibly dragged, crabbed, scratched, kicked, stomped, abused with animal words, and suffered tear gas shots that hit the victims’ bodies. The victims sustained bruises, lacerations, limp legs, and psychological trauma. Two victims were women.
Violence, tear gas and arbitrary arrest
When residents received information that they would be evicted from their land in Kalasey Dua Village on 7 November, as many as 80 Kalasey Dua farmers and the community network in solidarity gathered at around 7 am. At that time, dozens of residents were at the entry point next to the ring road of the farmers’ land. The community conducted a short prayer service and then stood guard at the location, awaiting the arrival of the government.
The authorities arrived at 10 am, armed to the teeth. The farmers blocked the road to prevent eviction. However, the police forcefully entered the farmers’ land with repressive actions against the masses. The police deployed fire trucks and threw tear gas at the protesters. One police officer was recorded cursing at the farmers. As part of the eviction, two excavators levelled the farmers’ coconut, banana and other horticultural crops.
Manado Police and Satpol PP officers went further by making arbitrary arrests. There was no apparent legal reason. Police randomly pulled people out, forcibly arrested them, and brought them to Manado Police Station. There were 46 people arrested, including 14 women. Investigators interrogated them at the Manado Police Detective and Criminal Unit. They were released in the evening at around 8 pm.
The arrest of farmer’s lawyers
Manado Police also prevented two LBH Manado public lawyers from assisting the farmers. When they met the police chief at the location, the Head of Ops, Polresta Manado, ordered the two public defenders to be arrested. They were then forcibly removed by four members of Satpol PP, put into the official car of Polresta Manado, and taken to Polresta Manado. Until several days after the incident, 40 Manado Police and Satpol PP members still occupied the posts at the eviction site.
Arbitrary arrest of journalist
An online media journalist, Noufryadi Sururama, was also arbitrarily arrested by the Manado Police along with several protesters in Kalasey Dua Village.
Police and Satpol PP officers asked for his identity card (KTP). Noufryadi explained that he was a journalist and showed his ID card but the police apparently did not believe him. Noufryadi was pulled from behind by one of the officers until his shirt was torn. After that, he was forcibly placed in a police car and taken to Manado Police Station.
The Alliance of Independent Journalists condemned the police action against Naufryadi. The police said that they only took pre-emptive and preventive actions by appealing to unauthorized people to leave the location and to not hamper the government’s sustainable development program. The Police’s Public Relations Office stated that Naufryadi was acting together with the community/students who resisted the eviction and provoked the masses and at the time of arrest, he was not wearing a press/journalist ID.
Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Kalasey (1.4434518713347495, 124.77858829616575)
administrative region: Indonesia, North Sulawesi Province, Minahasa Regency, Mandolang District, Kalasey Dua Village
total number of victims: 47
period of incident: 07.11.2022
perpetrator: police, other security forces
perpetrator details:
Issues: freedom of expression, torture, journalists, freedom of peaceful assembly, right to food, right to adequate housing
Sources: https://advokasi.aji.or.id/read/data-kekerasan/2076.html?y=2021&m=1&ye=2022&me=11, https://www.tribratanewsmanado.com/2022/11/09/klarifikasi-polresta-manado-terkait-pengamanan-lokasi-lahan-pembangunan-poltekpar-di-desa-kalasey-dua-kec-mandolang-kab-minahasa-dan-terkait-pemberitaan-wartawan-yang-jadi-korban-sikap-arogan-anggot/, https://www.detik.com/jateng/hukum-dan-kriminal/d-6201985/viral-polisi-hajar-2-pria-pekalongan-keluarga-korban-pertimbangkan-lapor-polda, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kimla6PxqmA, https://ylbhi.or.id/informasi/siaran-pers/temuan-pelanggaran-ham-penggusuran-paksa-kalasey-dua/
Further HRM News:
| Number | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 14 | farmers, students | female | unknown | unknown | housing, food, arbitrary detention |
| 30 | farmers, students | male | unknown | unknown | housing, food, arbitrary detention |
| 2 | lawyers | male | unknown | unknown | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Noufryadi Sururama | male | unknown | journalist | freedom of expression, arbitrary detention |
