Benhil residents prefer going back to provinces<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta,
\nsaid they would prefer to receive compensation and move to other
\nareas rather than live in low-cost apartments which are to be
\nbuilt on the old fire site by the city administration.<\/p>\n
\"We're culturally not prepared to live in apartments where we
\nhave to pay for almost everything, such as gas, water and
\nelectricity. We would prefer to go back to our villages or move
\nto suburban areas,\" said Sutaryo, the head of the residents'
\ndelegation in negotiation with the government.<\/p>\n
Sutaryo and two others representing the people told The
\nJakarta Post on Wednesday that the residents, mostly immigrants
\nfrom Central and East Java, support a government plan to
\nconstruct apartments in the area which was destroyed by fire on
\nSept. 9.<\/p>\n
\"The government could build and sell the apartments to other
\npeople. But most of us prefer to live outside the area,\" Sutaryo
\nadded, referring to 465 families living in the 15,000 square-
\nmeter area.<\/p>\n
The government has banned the residents from rebuilding new
\nhouses in the area because it plans to construct low cost
\napartments there.<\/p>\n
On Monday morning the city administration deployed dozens of
\npersonnel, including officials from the City Law and Order Bureau
\nand police and military members, to appropriate the site because
\nsome of the area residents had received compensation.<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 occupants who protested eviction refused to
\nleave the area and clashed with officials led by Central Jakarta
\nDeputy Mayor Mora Tua Simamora, forcing the mayoralty
\nadministration to postpone the evictions for an indefinite
\nperiod. The officials demolished some of the semi-permanent
\nbuildings there.<\/p>\n
Several people, including members of a civil defense corps,
\nwere injured in the clash.<\/p>\n
State land<\/p>\n
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, however, said on Tuesday that the
\nadministration will not drop the plan just because of the scuffle
\nand said the goal of the project is to provide residents with
\nproper housing.<\/p>\n
The city administration, Surjadi said, is quite humane in the
\nevictions because it has agreed to provide a Rp 400,000 (US$190)
\nallowance per displaced family to rent temporary housing pending
\nthe completion of the apartments.<\/p>\n
\"The city administration could just tell them to leave because
\nthe land belongs to the government. On the contrary, the
\ngovernment is offering them enough money to rent temporarily,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The Post observed yesterday that a number of area residents
\nstill stay in half-destroyed and semi-permanent houses,
\npositioning broad plastic sheets to replace roofs destroyed by
\nthe fire.<\/p>\n
Ruslan Maun, another resident representative, said that the
\narea residents asked for compensation of Rp 1 million per square
\nmeter.<\/p>\n
\"Why do they use force to move residents? We will leave the
\narea if given reasonable compensation ,\" Ruslan said.<\/p>\n
Newspaper reports said that the land clearing committee
\noffered the fire victims compensation of Rp 235,000 ($107) per
\nsquare meter for the land.<\/p>\n
Simamora said on Tuesday that 300 of the 465 families living
\non the site had already accepted the money, a statement denied by
\nRuslan.<\/p>\n
\"Those who claim to be residents are tenants who live here on
\na temporary basis,\" he said. (09)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/benhil-residents-prefer-going-back-to-provinces-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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