Evicted Depok people occupy House compound<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 70 residents of Pancoran Mas, Depok,
\nwho were recently expelled after occupying the National
\nCommission on Human Rights office, took up position Saturday at
\nthe House of Representatives compound.<\/p>\n
One of the senior residents, Jacobus Marpaung, said yesterday
\nthey recently moved from the commission office on Jl. Latuharhari
\nin Central Jakarta to a building belonging to the Bogor Regency
\nin Cibinong.<\/p>\n
After several hours at the building, the residents --
\nincluding women and children -- were transferred to a building in
\nBekasi because the Bogor Regency could not find suitable shelter
\nfor them.<\/p>\n
The residents later learned the building was used for
\nrehabilitating prostitutes, said Marpaung.<\/p>\n
\"We did not want to stay at the building because we are not
\nprostitutes and later we decided to move to this compound,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The residents said they would continue to occupy the House of
\nRepresentatives compound until their demands could be met by
\nBogor and Depok authorities.<\/p>\n
Marpaung said they would ask to meet House members today,
\nseeking legislators' help to solve their problems.<\/p>\n
On April 17, the Bogor regency and Depok mayoralty bulldozed
\nthe residents' 700 shanty houses built on 19 hectares of land
\nbelonging to the Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n
The residents, who have occupied the land since 1975, demanded
\nthe Bogor regency provide compensation and temporary shelter for
\nthem.<\/p>\n
The residents, mostly from North Sumatra, have written about
\ntheir plight to the Bogor regency, the Depok mayoralty, the
\nMinistry of Home Affairs and President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The residents have not yet received any satisfying response.<\/p>\n
The residents occupied the commission office for five months
\nuntil a police colonel ordered them to leave the site, saying the
\noffice was not a shelter for evicted people.<\/p>\n
\"Now, I agree the human rights body should be shut down
\nbecause it could do nothing for us,\" he said, referring to a
\nproposal for the closure of the body.<\/p>\n
As of yesterday, residents were seen sitting in the grounds of
\nthe House. Some were also seen drying their clothes. (jun)<\/p>",
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