JP/4/let12

JP/4/let12

No trespassing:
Soeharto land

From time to time I visit the family of my friend who has a
bungalow in Lebak Ciheurang, West Java. There are two ways to
enter this road: One is much longer and on a very winding rough
road. The second is through a gate that goes through a group of
houses connected to pak Soeharto's cattle ranch. These houses are
for his staff (most likely supervisory, as the houses are very
nice). This route used to be kept locked but since Soeharto was
deposed the gate has been opened, thus saving 30 minutes off
travel time for visitors to the area.

I was going to visit my friend at the bungalow recently. I
arrived at the gate at 10:30 p.m. and was denied entrance. The
guards, of which there were four, stated that this was private
land and that it was too late to enter. I said that if I had to
return to the main road to take the other route it would add an
hour on my trip. After some haggling I was able to use the gates.

Hasn't the time come to start doing something about the second
ex-president and his family's holdings? It seems they're low on
the priority list of alleged corruptors that are being punished.
The cattle farm reaches over 10,000 hectares. the cattle are all
the very finest and well maintained. Wouldn't it be in the best
interests of the people to have the government take over this
ranch and have the profits go to the poor whose land was stolen
for this ranch to be built?

Other family members also own many hectares in that area. One
has built numerous glass houses in which one member grows paprika
and tomatoes. He also has a large tea plantation bordering the
vegetables. The land up till recently was guarded by members of
the special forces. As a way of paying back some of th country's
debt that was incurred by this family wouldn't it be better for
the government to take over this farm and reap the profits? Or
are we to keep making Soeharto's one of the richest families in
the world?

Who is paying to keep this road closed? Who pays for the
guards? What are they guarding?

AMINATUN

Jakarta