Sentul developer upset over burning of buildings

Sentul developer upset over burning of buildings

JAKARTA (JP): The project manager of Rainbow Hills, an
exclusive housing estate and golf course at Pasir Karet village
in Sentul, Bogor, expressed concern over the burning of two of
its buildings by unidentified men, allegedly working for PT FMP.

Herry Sugandi alleges that the men from PT FMP, another
housing estate located near Rainbow Hills, burned the two
buildings on Feb. 18.

One of the building was built by his company as a telephone
exchange station.

"We have spent approximately Rp 150 million building the
telephone exchange station and were planning to give it to the
Bogor chapter of the state-owned telecommunications company PT
Telkom as soon as its construction was completed," he said.

Herry said the building was near completion when the mystery
men burned it on Saturday.

Also at the location, The Jakarta Post saw that there were two
burned cars.

According to some villagers, who asked not to be identified,
they saw some "black" people pouring gasoline on the two
buildings then setting them alight.

"Some of the men even had time to watch the buildings burn
before leaving the scene in two cars," he said.

Kompas daily reported yesterday that the burning of the
buildings and the vehicles was as a result of a land dispute
between Rainbow Hills and PT FMP.

Herry refused to confirm that the incident was caused by a
land dispute.

"I could call it a land dispute if there was a disputed plot
of land but in this matter there is no such plot. The people from
PT FMP usually claim a particular plot of land by putting up some
signs on our property but when we pull the signs out they erect
them in a different place," he said.

Herry said there is no definite area which is being disputed.

He said Rainbow Hills is located on 400 hectares of land and
when completed there will be approximately 800 luxury houses as
well as a golf course.

Herry said land problems have occurred since early this month,
but until now none of PT FMP's people have come to him to discuss
the land border problem.

He said so far none of his workers have been harassed by the
mystery men, but, he added, the presence of the "black men" has
created unrest among the villagers.

Haji Salim, one of the village's respected figures told Kompas
that since the conflict broke out there are many people carrying
weapons around the village.

"People are scared to go out of their houses now," Haji Salim
said.

Chief Sergeant Endang of the Citeurep police precinct said the
burning of the buildings and cars is being investigated by the
precinct but he could not give details on the progress of the
investigation.

"There were no arrests made during the incident," he said.

Officials of Rainbow Hills' Jakarta office refused to comment
on the incident. (mas)