Clan leader demands damages<\/p>\n
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: The tribal chief of Yahim will continue
\nto press his demand until the government pays up the compensation
\ndue for his clan's land that has been turned into the Sentani
\nairport.<\/p>\n
The tribal chief, Yahya Fele, told Antara that he has
\nrepeatedly asked the provincial government to pay Rp 18 billion
\n(US$8.3 million) for the 60 hectares of land that was
\nappropriated for the airport in 1971.<\/p>\n
\"The government turns a deaf ear,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He believes that his clan is the rightful owner of the land,
\nwhich it has controlled since the Japanese colonial
\nadministration in the 1940s.<\/p>\n
The current airport was developed from the airstrip that the
\nJapanese and the Dutch occupation troops built, according to
\nFele.<\/p>\n
The local government has refused to pay any compensation,
\narguing that the land was purchased by the Dutch colonial
\nadministration from the clan and that the property automatically
\nwent to the Indonesian government after Irian Jaya became part of
\nIndonesia. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/clan-leader-demands-damages-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}