Compensation sought from country club

JAKARTA (JP): About 25 families in the Ciganjur-Cipedak subdistrict, South Jakarta, have demanded compensation for a 12- hectare plot of their land appropriated by force as part of the Matoa golf course and country club.

A group of representatives of the families visited the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute on Wednesday to seek legal advice over their dispute with the golf course management PT Sarana Graha Adhi Santosa, a company controlled by former president Soeharto's golfing buddy Mohamad "Bob" Hasan.

The representatives' spokesman, Nurhadi, said the construction of the golf course and country club, covering a total area of 67 hectares, was completed in 1993.

He said 45 hectares of the land belonged to the Air Force, while the remaining 12 hectares belonged to local residents' grandfathers, identified as Saleh, Simin, Soepari, Misan and Madun.

He said the company rented the Air Force land for 30 years.

"Until now, however, we have never received any compensation, even though the Air Force once admitted that the land belongs to us," Nurhadi said.

He said the company started to clear the Air Force land for the construction of the golf course project in 1989.

"We were shocked that our land located adjacent to the Air Force land was also cleared," he said.

He said they were once offered compensation of Rp 65,000 (US$8.9) per square meter by the company in 1994, but it was never paid.

When asked to comment on the residents' demand, the company's lawyer, Vincent Edwin Hasyim, was tightlipped .

"It's a sensitive matter. I could not give a comment before discussing it with the company executives," Vincent told The Jakarta Post.

Lawyer Tubagus H.K. of the institute who represented the land owners said that the company had violated the law by illegally appropriating his clients' property.

Tubagus said his clients and their family members planned to stage a large demonstration at the golf course on Thursday to demand the compensation.

He said a golf tournament named the Matoa Nasional Open- Andersen Consulting Challenge Championship was now being held on the course.

"We insist that our demands be heard," he said.

The golf course and country club was often visited by former president Soeharto for rounds with Bob Hasan before Soeharto resigned on May 21 this year. (jun)