Tangerang residents criticize police

Five residents of Cipulir district, Tangerang, are criticizing city police over their slow response to an appeal to tackle a land dispute case involving the state-owned manufacturer of securities paper (Peruri).

The five, identified as Mulud, Murtabah, Warnadi, Ijo, and Mrs. Aritonang, in the company of their lawyer Seopratman Sjam, the chairman of the Perpahi lawyers union, told reporters at the city police headquarters on Tuesday that they bought around 1,200 square meters of land in Sudimara from Haj Nadris, Musli and Haj Amarullah in 1982.

But the landlords later sold the land to Peruri without their knowledge in 1991.

"Last year we asked Tangerang police to examine the case but thus far there is no indication that they will tackle it. Today, we tried to meet either the city police chief (Maj. Gen. Moch. Hindarto) or the chief of the investigative directorate chief (Col. Nurfaizi), but they were not available," said Seopratman.

Seopratman said the Tangerang mayoralty administration on Aug. 14 evicted his clients from the premises, charging that they were squatters. The charge is flatly denied by the five.

According to Soepratman, Tangerang Mayor Djakaria Machmud issued demolition orders and instructed the five to vacate the premises last year. But mayoralty officials repeatedly failed to accomplish the order due to strong resistance from his clients.

The last attempt reportedly took place in February when the mayoral guards came with a bulldozer, only to back off. (jsk)