Six arrested over brawl with miners

Six arrested over brawl with miners

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Tangerang Police arrested six residents from three villages in
Mauk on Tuesday, following a brawl with the workers of an illegal
sand dredging operation located in Kampung Simpang.

The six are identified as H. Tabrani, a former chief of Tegal
Kunir Lor village; Achmad, a resident in Ketapang village; Helmi,
Jubed and Kusyadi, residents of Banyu Asin village; and Hambali,
from Kemiri village.

In the brawl on Sunday, two villagers were rushed to hospital
with machete wounds.

Tangerang Police chief Sr. Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said
the six suspects were taken from their homes at 2 a.m. and were
held at the police headquarters for further questioning.

The police charged them with inciting villagers to attack the
sand mining workers and destroy facilities at the mining site.

On Sunday, the residents of Tegal Kunir Lor, Banyuasin and
Marga Mulya joined in a protest against the sand dredging
operation, saying it had disrupted the water irrigation system in
the three villages. The villages' main source of income is
farming.

The operation is owned by businessman Herman Wijaya.

The villagers' initially peaceful protest turned into a brawl
with the mining workers and two villagers were taken to Tangerang
General Hospital with wounds to their heads and backs.

Samsudin, 30, a resident of Marga Mulya and Hamdani, 29, of
Tegal Kunir Lor, were reportedly attacked with machetes by the
mining workers.

Tabrani, who led the protest, said the massive sand dredging
operation had changed the ecosystem and disrupted ground water
supply since it began in 2000.

He estimated the mining had caused the erosion of more than
300 cubic meters of land in the village and other land was
frequently flooded by sea water.

"We have repeatedly filed complaints with the district office
(over the dredging). But it's all to no avail because (the
office) is paid off by the illegal operation," Tabrani said.

The residents burned the workers' dormitory and destroyed
pipelines and machines at the site.

Marga Mulya village secretary Sukwali said the sea had claimed
70 hectares of the 230 hectares of fish ponds in the village.

The police refused comment on accusations government officials
were colluding with the illegal sand dredgers.