Security forces disperse protesters in Bintan; 13 hurt<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (Agencies): Thirteen people were wounded Sunday
\nmorning when Indonesian forces dispersed villagers camped outside
\nresorts in the island of Bintan near Singapore to demand
\ncompensation for land they claim was practically robbed from
\nthem.<\/p>\n
Separately, Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, who
\nvisited Jakarta 10 days ago, urged the Indonesian government to
\nprotect foreign investors on the resort island of Bintan.<\/p>\n
\"I will leave it to the Indonesian authorities to handle this.
\nThey have to protect foreign investors,\" Goh said, quoted by the
\nSunday Times, as he returned from a six-day trip to India.<\/p>\n
At about 5:30 a.m. local time, police and military forces
\nmoved in to disperse the demonstrators gathered at the back gate
\nof the Bintan International Resort, Singapore government-linked
\nconglomerate SembCorp Industries said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Thirteen people were reportedly injured, four of them
\nseriously, said SembCorp, which jointly developed the resort with
\nIndonesian partners.<\/p>\n
Those with serious injuries were evacuated to Tanjung Pinang,
\nin the center of the island, by speedboat, the statement said.<\/p>\n
An eyewitness who asked not to be named said he saw two men
\nand one woman with gunshot wounds to the abdomen being carried
\nonto a boat.<\/p>\n
He also saw police round up 30 people, load them onto a truck
\nand drive them to the resort's headquarters. Later, they were
\nsent by ferry to Tanjung Pinang.<\/p>\n
Another eyewitness who requested anonymity said that police
\nrounded up six student activists who had taken part in the
\nprotests.<\/p>\n
She said Indonesian forces first fired shots in the air, but
\nthen aimed at the students when they did not surrender. One
\nstudent was shot in the leg, she said.<\/p>\n
The villagers have been camping for over a week outside the
\nresort area to demand compensation for land they claim they were
\nforced to sell at low price in 1991 to make way for an industrial
\nestate and beach resorts.<\/p>\n
The villagers claim that developer PT Buana Mega Wisata paid
\nthem only about Rp 100 per square meter of land in the early
\n1990s (four dollar cents on the then prevailing rate), far below
\nthe market price of Rp 10,000.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Jakarta sent about 200 troops to Bintan to beef
\nup its security presence there after the protesters canceled a
\ntrip to Jakarta to meet with President Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
The president had agreed to their demands for talks.<\/p>\n
Goh said it now happened to a Singaporean investor. But the
\nbasic message must be the Indonesian government had to protect
\nforeign investors.<\/p>\n
\"It is regrettable that force had to be used to disperse the
\ndemonstrators. This past week has been a harrowing time for all
\nof us who have a stake in Bintan -- both the villagers as well as
\nthe investors,\" said Tay Siew Choon, managing director of
\nSembCorp Industries.<\/p>\n
\"There are no winners in such a situation. In the end both the
\npeople of Bintan and investors like us lose out. If the
\nconfidence of international investors is shaken, jobs and
\nbusinesses on Bintan will be affected,\" Tay added.<\/p>\n
SembCorp said \"the proper way to resolve this dispute is
\nthrough legal and peaceful channels where fair restitution can be
\nmade to any valid grievances found.\"<\/p>\n
Goh said he was \"rather sad\" at what was happening at the
\nresort, especially since he traveled to Jakarta 10 days ago
\nIndonesia to help Jakarta woo back foreign capital.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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