Factory building demolished

TANGERANG (JP): Strong opposition from the residents of Batuceper subdistrict here colored Tuesday's demolition of a factory building and the clearing of the 4.5 hectares of disputed land where the structure stood.

The action was ordered by the local district court following a March 1998 Supreme Court ruling which granted the ownership of the land to the plaintiff in the case, Lim Salim, who had brought a lawsuit in 1996 against Hendra Kartika, the owner of the factory.

On Tuesday, Hendra assailed dozens of police officers who arrived along with two huge mechanical breakers, before being pulled away. Screaming loudly, a never-say-die Hendra then climbed onto the building.

A throng of neighbors arrived to help him, but they could do little to stop the officers from executing the court ruling.

"This 4.5 hectares of land must be totally cleared out," court clerk Amsori Thoyib declared.

Amsori said Lim had bought the land, originally owned by Thio O. Tong, at an auction arranged by the Tangerang District Court in September 1995. However, Lim had no knowledge then that Hendra's factory stood on it.

Lim filed a lawsuit against Hendra in the Tangerang District Court, and won the case despite Hendra's two successive appeals to higher courts. (41/ylt)