Thousands plunder disused sugar factory

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): Thousands of Banyumas residents have plundered the closed Kalibagor sugar factory, making off with hundreds of meters of railway tracks and other steel materials.

Banyumas Police chief J.H. Hutauruk said the looting started on Saturday and that he assigned a battalion of mobile police to disperse looters.

Hutauruk said about 200 tons of steel were stolen, including steel columns, sugar milling equipment and roof trusses.

The Jakarta Post observed many people scavenging outside the factory compound on Monday.

"We let them operate outside the plant. But we have prohibited them from entering the factory compound as it now belongs to a person through a legal auction, Hutauruk said.

The looters, carrying crowbars and saws, included Kalibagor residents and people from neighboring villages and districts.

The looters said on Monday they decided to take the steel parts from the plant after hearing that Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the youngest son of former president Soeharto, had purchased the fixtures to make parts for the Timor vehicle.

"It is better for us to take the disused materials than let them be owned by Tommy. The Soehartos have devoured too much of the people's money," Supardi, a Sokaraja villager, said in a voice full of emotion.

He said they sold the loot to junk dealers for Rp 500 per kilogram. "Better quality steel, usually steel bars for reinforcement work, is Rp 700 per kilogram."

Supardi said he worked with five neighbors in looting the plant.

Samin, who was from another group of looters, said more people working together would be able to collect hundreds of kilograms of steel.

"We collected two tons yesterday," he said on Monday. Most of it was 15-meter-long railway tracks.

The sugar factory, built in 1918, was closed last year amid the prolonged financial crisis. (45/sur)