Clash erupts in land dispute at Tangerang housing complex

TANGERANG (JP): Hundreds of security guards of Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) housing complex were involved in a clash with officers of the Tangerang District Court following an order to clear a part of the housing complex on Saturday.

Four of the security guards, identified as Sumirat, 28, Irwan, 25, Darmaji, 30, and Mula, 30, were questioned by the police for their alleged involvement in torturing an intelligence officer, identified as Muhasan, of the local military district after the clash.

The clash started when the security guards tried to stop three bulldozers deployed by court orders to destroy trees and a wall in the Giri Loka section of the housing complex. The bulldozer was backed up by soldiers and police officers.

The bulldozers retreated after the security guards threw stones at the machines. Muhasan then arrested a man, named Sukma Sumirat, for allegedly instructing the security guards to throw stones at the bulldozers.

But the other security guards came to the aid of Sumirat and attacked Muhasan, who suffered a head injury.

Police officers and soldiers managed to stop the fighting and seized sticks from the security guards.

The clearing of the 25,480-square-meter plot of land by the court officers was postponed after the clash.

The security guards expressed concern over the destruction of the park without first discussing it with them.

"We have built this beautiful and expensive park on the land. We are sad to see that the park was destroyed by the officers," one of the security guards said emotionally.

They earlier deployed trucks and buses to prevent the bulldozers from entering Giri Loka.

But the officers finally managed to move the vehicles and started to bulldoze the area before the clash began.

The land, where dozens of luxurious houses stand, was claimed by Rusli Wahyudi, a resident of South Jakarta, to be his property.

Rusli's lawyer, I Wayan Sidarta, said that his client bought the land from its owner, identified as The Kim Tien, who died before documents for the land deal were completed.

But BSD's spokesman, Doni Rahajoe, denied the claim, saying that his company's shareholders, PT Supra Veritas and PT Simas Tunggal Center, had bought the land from The's heirs, identified as The Men Nio, The Tan Nio and The On.

Doni said the Tangerang District Court rejected a lawsuit filed by Rusli, saying that the land belonged to the developer.

At the West Java High Court, however, the district court's decision was annulled in 1995 and the high court ordered that the land be returned to Rusli.

However, Doni said the order should not be carried out since the company had appealed to the Supreme Court.

PT Bumi Serpong Damai has invested about Rp 2 trillion (US$800 million) over the past 10 years to develop the 6,000-hectare Bumi Serpong Damai township. (jun)