400 Rancamaya farmers query land certificates
BOGOR (JP): About 400 Rancamaya farmers have urged the local administration to reexamine 100 land certificates used by PT Suryamas Duta Makmur to take over 257 hectares of land and develop a luxurious housing complex and golf course here.
According to the villagers, who had inhabited the area for generations, all of the documents are fake and were obtained by the developer of the Rancamaya residential and golf course project by forging their signatures and thumbprints.
"Fake certificates were used by the developer to obtain HGB (right to build permit) for the land from the state," the villagers' spokesman, Chepy Sudrajat, told the media at the Bogor Council building on Wednesday.
The farmers packed the council building to ask councilors to force Regent Eddie Yoso Martadipura and related officials to immediately solve the land dispute.
According to Saarim, who claimed to be a local villager, some officers met the farmers in 1990 and asked them to sign or put their thumbprints on papers.
"We were told the signatures were required to legally allow villagers to do their farming at the site," Saarim said.
Chepy added: "The papers were then changed into land certificates bearing the name of the villagers."
By being in possession of the "certificates", it appeared that the developer had legally purchased the land from the owners.
According to Chepy, the Rancamaya villagers had tried to get back their land many times but had always failed.
"We, therefore, hope that Bapak Bupati (the regent) will no longer fear helping us in the current era of openness," Chepy said.
With the help of councilors, the villagers met with an assistant to the regent, Muammal, who told the farmers that his boss was on duty in the West Java capital of Bandung.
"Because the Bupati is not here, I can not make any promises but I'll do all my best to arrange a meeting (with the regent) next week," Muammal told the Rancamaya villagers.
The farmers, who earlier threatened to stay overnight at the council building until they met the regent, peacefully dispersed in the hope that Muammal would fulfill his promise. (24/jun)