According to the Thousand Islands regency administration, residents of Pari Island have shown a lack of interest toward engaging in discussions about the island’s development.

 “We have been trying to encourage dialogues with the residents for some time now,” Thousand Islands Regent Irmansyah said on Thursday as reported by kompas.com.

The administration wants to know about the residents’ aspirations for their home, he added.

He conceded that the dialogues would not touch on the topic of land disputes currently disrupting the island, because the matter was under the National Land Agency’s (BPN) authority.

“Despite the land disputes, we still wish to develop Pari Island,” Irmansyah said.

Last month, the Jakarta Ombudsman revealed it had found maladministration in the issuance of 62 land certificates (SHM) and 14 building permits (SHG) for PT Bumi Pari Asri pertaining to Pari Island.

On Tuesday, residents under the Save Pari Island Coalition held a press conference to reject the Thousand Islands administration’s invitation for a dialogue, suspecting that officials would use the event to reject the Ombudsman’s findings. (ami/wit)