What kind of political language was lying on the land in the Samin movement?

Correct answer: A symbolic claim to land rights through the body

The Samin movement used peaceful and symbolic actions to challenge Dutch claims over land and forests. Lying on the land expressed that the land was not simply an object that officials could seize, measure or control through colonial rules. The body placed on the ground created a visible statement of belonging and refusal: people asserted their connection and rights without necessarily using armed force. This form of protest transformed an ordinary physical act into a political message about ownership, dignity and resistance.

Option A is correct because lying on the land symbolically claimed land rights through the body. It was not a sign of sea travel, acceptance of Dutch taxation or a celebration of teak trade. The action should be understood in its historical context as non-violent resistance to colonial control. Its meaning came from linking the person directly with the soil, thereby questioning the authority of the state to take or regulate land without the community’s consent.