Five illegal tillers shot in Medan clash

JAKARTA (JP): Five laborers of a state-owned plantation in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, were shot Monday in a clash involving possibly illegal tillers and employees of the Nusantara II plantation.

Two of those who were shot, allegedly with rubber bullets, reported to the Legal Aid Office in Medan. They were Agus Salim, 20 and Basirun, 38.

The others were Abdul Rahim, 25, Udin Sagala, 35, and Sigapo, 35, all residents of Batangkuis in Deli Serdang.

Residents say they have been entitled to till land on some 185 hectares around the plantation. Nusantara II employees on Monday charged they were disrupting planting activities and intended to force them out, they said, and this resulted in a clash in which some employees were injured. Security personnel were then called to the site. Warning shots were fired which resulted in the five injuries, witnesses said.

Later in the day the top provincial figures met with the plantation union. They were Governor Rizal Nurdin, Police Chief Brig. Gen. Sutiyono, Council speaker HM Iskak, the local military command's assistant for territorial affairs Col. Kuswa and provincial chief prosecutor Tjokorda.

Union chairman Tambah Karo-karo repeated earlier demands that the land allotted for tobacco be immediately cleared of tillers. The union also demanded action against tillers and against village heads and district heads who they said issued illegal land rights to tillers.

Recently employees had staged a demonstration raising similar demands while near the plantation tillers had been involved in a clash with security personnel that resulted in several injuries.

After the meeting the union head told The Jakarta Post that three district heads and five village heads had issued rights to the land to residents.

"One document can cost as much as Rp 300,000," Tambah Karo- karo said.

He charged one village head had issued 58 documents.

Governor Rizal told the Post that the documents gave rights to use neglected land. He added the land use permit of the plantation of 45,200 hectares had been renewed and extended to 62,196 hectares. He confirmed there was the possibility that individuals in the plantation might have been involved in the issuance of the documents which led residents to believe they were entitled to till the land.

Rizal said a team will soon be set up to settle problems on the plantation and expected it would include a representative of the company. The company was not represented in the Monday meeting, he said.

In Poso, Central Sulawesi, Regent Arief Patanga, administration secretary Ida Yahya Patiro and their families had to be moved from their homes because crowds pelted their residences on Monday following a gang fight.

The gang fight which police said started at 2:30 a.m. led to 22 injured, but most were released on the same day from the Poso General Hospital. From morning paramedics were told to stand by in case of more injuries.

"The fighting started between two groups of youths, all of whom were drunk," Sgt. Yahya of the Poso District Police told The Jakarta Post by phone on Monday.

The incident followed another on Friday when hundreds ran amok after a teenager was stabbed in the stomach by a drunken man.

"The two groups dispersed but met again near a mosque. There, the fighting continued, with a gang member hit by a dagger," the officer said.

The police official said the fighting had provoked anger among residents as rumors spread that the victim was stabbed while he was performing a nocturnal prayer.

Other rumors indicated the victim was stabbed after he woke the people up for the dawn meal before fasting, he added.

Antara reported the 22 residents rushed to the hospital sustained various injuries for being hit by stones or other hard objects.

"The number of injured residents may be greater as some of the victims were also rushed to local government and private-run clinics," said a nurse, Emma, of the Poso General Hospital.

However she said only a few of the patients had to be treated at the hospital as most were allowed to return home.

A police official at the Poso Police precinct told the Post that rioters were still moving from one place to another.

Police and Army officers were seen on guard at city street corners and a number of public facilities. A resident, Mardan Kaa'bah, 42, said city remained tense until Monday afternoon.

He said the city, located some 215 kilometers southeast of the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, was paralyzed since 7 a.m. as business centers were closed.

Antara quoted Central Sulawesi police spokesman Maj. Ida Kartati as saying that the regent and administration secretary were safe. He denied reports that both officials had been taken hostage, saying they were only moved to a safe place because there had also been threats of setting fire to their homes.

The motive was not clear. (21/imn)