500 evicted from Perumka land<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): About 100 homes, occupied by more than 500
\npeople staying on company land, were demolished by the state-
\nowned railroad company Perumka, yesterday.<\/p>\n
The demolition started at about 8:00 a.m. by Perumka in
\ncooperation with personnel of the Jakarta military command and
\nthe local administration, especially the Senen district
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
R. Soedarso of Perumka told reporters that the demolition took
\nplace along a three-kilometer stretch of land alongside the
\nrailway tracks running from Bungur, Senen, behind the Gaplok
\nmarket, to Jl. Pramuka.<\/p>\n
Twelve freight cars were used to carry the debris. About 150
\npersonnel of the military command, the city administration and
\nthe company were involved in the operation.<\/p>\n
Most people in the area said they would continue to stay on
\nthe land and ignore the fact that Perumka would demolish their
\nhuts again.<\/p>\n
Kasir, 75, a resident, told The Jakarta Post that he had lived
\nthere for 35 years and had no intention of moving.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want to move,\" he said emotionally, \"This is my home
\nand my place of work.\"<\/p>\n
Kasir, who works as a cleaner at the local market, said that
\nalthough Perumka had demolished his home three times, he still
\ndoes not want to move.<\/p>\n
\"By working and staying here, I can send about Rp 150,000
\n(US$$67) to my family in the village in Tegal, Central Java,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Dimun, 43, another cleaner at the market who had
\nstayed there since 1970, said that he did not want to move
\neither.<\/p>\n
\"I earn money for my family here,\" he said, \"I also help the
\nadministration keep the surrounds clean. Why should they send us
\naway?\"<\/p>\n
Dimun, father of eight children, said that as long as Perumka
\ndoes not put a fence along the railway, he will keep building his
\nhut there.<\/p>\n
A woman who asked for anonymity, said that most people there
\npaid between Rp 25,000 and Rp 30,000 for renting the huts and for
\n\"security money\" for a certain person.<\/p>\n
\"When we heard that Perumka was about to demolish our houses
\nwe paid between Rp 100,000 and Rp 500,000 to the person,\" she
\nsaid, \"He promised us that the company would not dare to send us
\naway\".<\/p>\n
M. Haidy Kosasih, head of the Senen district, said he
\nregretted that the person took advantage of the residents.<\/p>\n
\"I can assure you that the person is not part of the
\nadministration or Perumka,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kosasih also regretted that the people who lived in the huts
\ninsisted on staying on the land.<\/p>\n
\"They should have known that the land isn't theirs,\" he said,
\n\"All we want from them is to be orderly by obeying the
\ngovernment's rules.\"<\/p>\n
According to Kosasih, the demolition was not the first time in
\nhis jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
\"All my staff are tired of demolishing the huts because soon
\nthey will build them again,\" he said, adding that his staff would
\nkeep an eye on them in case they try building there again.<\/p>\n
Soedarso said that the demolition was aimed at keeping the
\ncity clean and reducing crimes on trains when they stop.<\/p>\n
Bey Arief, head of the Senen train station, said that the six-
\nmeter wide area will be used for a waterway.<\/p>\n
\"The dike will be built alongside the tracks,\" he said, \"But
\nthe construction will be conducted step by step.\"<\/p>\n
The purpose of constructing the dike is to reduce puddles and
\nto prevent people building huts beside the railroad tracks.<\/p>\n
According to Arief, the Greater Jakarta administration will
\nfinance the construction. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/500-evicted-from-perumka-land-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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