Locals clash with security forces over housing dispute

Kasparman, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra

Hundreds of people in Padang, West Sumatra clashed on Wednesday with security officers over a housing dispute, causing 20 people to be arrested by the police.

The incident occurred when over 500 court, police and military officers insisted on executing the Supreme Court verdict that orders the Chaniago family to vacate 15 houses on land owned by the Sikumbang family on Jl. Khatib Sulaiman in Belanti Berok village, Padang.

The locals burned tires, and displayed banners opposing the execution of the court order.

When an excavator approached the troubled houses, local people began throwing stones at the security officers, which was followed by punching and kicking between the two sides.

A local suffered head injuries due to the incident.

As the attack from locals intensified, the police were forced to fire warning shots into the air to stop the locals' fury so the execution of the court order could proceed.

In two hours, the 15 disputed houses were eventually destroyed, but a building belonging to the West Sumatra Office of the State Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, which was located there, was not demolished.

"Where is justice for the poor like us...?" Amran, a local, said sadly, while pointing at the government building that was not destroyed.

Court officer Edwin said that the government building was not demolished as the government had paid Rp 400 million (US$44,444) in compensation to the land owners for the construction of the building on their land.

Padang Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Zakhlin Letter said the police would prosecute the 20 arrested locals that had provoked the incident.

"We'll question them, if they are not guilty we will release them," he said.

The legal dispute over the 15 houses started in 1995 when the Sikumbang family filed a lawsuit with the Padang District Court against the Chaniago family for building houses on the former's land.

At that time there were only five houses on the land.

As the Sikumbang families lost in the district court battle, they appealed to the Padang High Court, which issued a verdict in their favor.

The Chaniago family then appealed to the Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's verdict and ordered the demolition of the houses.