Police Deny 30 Died In Mesuji Clashes

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo has denied that 30 people had died in clashes with the police in Mesuji sub-district, Lampung.

"I did not know about it. The fact is one died in a clash on November 11, 2011 and five others were wounded," he said here on Friday.

He said the police would check the truth of the report. He said "police came to a location certainly because there were reasons for it such as for preventive or pre-emptive actions" like conducting patrol and visits.

There is nothing like police siding with certain parties, he said. "On the other hand police prevent possible violations of the laws in case problems arise. That is what police have done whether they came from Brimob (Mobile Brigade), the police sector or the police resort," he said.

He said in the dynamics there were certainly people who were  hurt but if there were police officers who had acted wrongly or violated the law they would certainly be processed.

"To assure security and peace during community activities police conduct patrols, take preventive measures. So it is impossible that the police came there and then sided with certain group. That was not the case," he said.

Several villagers who are family members of the victims came to the House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday to report the alleged "massacre" in Mesuji, Lampung, to the DPR Commission III.

Their lawyer, Bob Hasan, who accompanied them said the incident occurred after PT SI extended its land holding in 2003 to cover locals' land for oil palm and rubber plantations.

He said the company had asked the police to help drive away the people and had also set up security guards of its own to be pitted against the people with the police supporting from behind.

Intimidations by police individuals and the company still continued. He said minimally 30 people had been killed and hundred others wounded from 2009 to 2011, in connection with the dispute, he said.(**)