Dozens injured in thug attack

Theresia Sufa, Bogor

Dozens of residents of Kampung Cipining, Argapura village in Cigudeg district, were injured in a brawl on Saturday evening with a group of men who claimed they were hired by a company whose trucks were charged illegal fees by villagers.

Five of the residents were hospitalized, while the police had arrested five of the attackers who, according to Bogor police head of detective Adj. Comr. Ferdi Sambo, were "thugs from a gang called the Jhoni group".

According to the residents, many of whom are also employed by the company -- mining firm PT Desira Guna Utama -- which is located in the village, the company had become fed up incensed by the illegal fees demanded by several men in the village.

"The men who the thugs were targeting fled soon after we saw the Jhoni group coming. Instead of chasing them, the thugs hit anyone who happened to be around the PT Desira factory," said Dayat, 47, whose house is near the factory.

The residents claimed there has been an agreement with the company for it to pay Rp 5,000 (about 60 US cents) for each of its large truck going in or out of the village and another Rp 2,000 for smaller vehicles.

"It's compensation for the wear and tear on our roads as well as the residents' inconvenience caused by the blasting of dynamite at the company," Dayat added.

Ferdi Sambo told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that at least 30 policemen had been deployed to the village to prevent further violence. -- JP