Police investigating villagers' dispute

TANGERANG (JP): Local police detectives are still investigating Sunday's vandalism of an Islamic elementary school and a boat factory in Tanjung Burung village in Teluk Naga, an officer said.

"We really regret the cases. Whatever the reasons, we have to investigate them," Tangerang Police Chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto said on Wednesday.

The Nurul Hikmah Madrasah Ibtidaiyah elementary school was slightly damaged when it was pelted with stones by a group of people on Sunday night.

The mob, allegedly led by the former head of the village, M. Buang Muhadi, also stoned a boat factory in the area.

They smashed the school windows and damaged the factory and a lot of equipment at the site, witnesses said.

Police said the incident was not related to any religious dispute.

They said the crime was in revenge for damage done to a local pig farm, which reportedly caused 300 people to temporarily lose their jobs, which was blamed on residents from the area.

Police quoted residents as saying Sarnubi, a teacher from the school, led other villagers to damage stables and set fire to the Kembar Jaya Pig Farm last Saturday.

The villagers often protested against the farm's waste and demanded its closure. On Saturday the pigs from the farm where taken away on trucks.

But the Tanjung Burung villagers denied damaging and burning the pig farm.

"It was done by residents from other villages in Teluk Naga district who also protested the farm. We came there just asking for the closure of the farm," Nursaman, a colleague of Sarnubi, said.

The Tanjung Burung residents did not leave their homes when Buang and his group came to the area and threw stones at the school and boat factory on Sunday.

According to Buang, Sarnubi tried illegally to take over the school, built a house without legal permits and "swindled" Rp 20 million in donation funds from shrimp pond owners and Rp 3.7 million from the boat factory to build a mosque.

A source from the mosque denied Buang's accusation. (41/jun)