Farmers jailed for trespass

TANGERANG: The Tangerang District Court sentenced on Tuesday four farmers who had been working a two hectare plot in Kampung Bundar, Cikupa district, to nine months in prison for trespass and destruction of private property.

The four defendants Nurhalim, 30, Balyadi, 37, Rohana, 38, and Sobari, 57, were found guilty of taking down the fence enclosing the plot of land where they used to grow rice. The land became the property of businessman Nurdjaya in November 2003.

Presiding judge Suhartoyo said the sentence was lenient compared to the one-year sentence sought by the prosecution.

The defendants accepted the verdict.

"We are merely little people ... there is no use protesting the court's word," one of the four said.

In presenting the case, prosecutor Martha P. Berliana said Nurdjaya had bought the land from the original owner and therefore had the right to force the four farmers off the land and build the fence. She said the farmers had caused the businessman Rp 1.5 million in losses for the broken fence.

The defendants, on the hand, told the court that they had been living on the vacant plot since 1969 and continued to manage the land after the change of ownership, but had received no compensation from Nurdjaya. -- JP