Evicted residents in rally seek compensation<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people from West Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta
\nvisited the city council on Monday, demanding the city
\nadministration to reconsider an eviction order from the houses
\nand land they have been squatting upon.<\/p>\n
The residents' leader Priono claimed the people had been
\nliving on the 20-hectare piece of land for dozens of years and
\nmost of them had identification cards.<\/p>\n
\"Many of our houses have telephone and electricity connections
\nand we are customers of city-owned tap water firm PAM Jaya. How
\ncome we are categorized as illegal residents?\" Priono asked
\nduring a meeting with the council's commission A for legal and
\nadministrative affairs.<\/p>\n
He said the land was occupied by about 290 families who were
\nnow living on a nearby riverbank since the forced eviction began
\nlast Thursday.<\/p>\n
The residents clashed with dozens of city public order
\nofficers and police officers trying to carry out their duties on
\nthe land owned by a private developer, PT Sari Kebon Jeruk
\nPermai.<\/p>\n
A number of residents were injured when police shot them with
\nrubber bullets as they resisted. The land is set to be used build
\na new shopping mall.<\/p>\n
Another resident, Heri, who has been living in the area since
\nthe 1970s admitted that they had no ownership certificate of the
\nland, and she believed the land belonged to the state and was
\nhoping for a cash reward.<\/p>\n
\"But other residents in other parts of the area who were
\nevicted in 1989 and last year got compensation from the city
\nadministration. But now, we have not been offered compensation,\"
\nHeri complained.<\/p>\n
Without mentioning the amount of payment they wanted, he said
\nthe residents demanded that the administration give them money
\naccording to the market value of the taxable property (NJOP) on
\nwhich they were squatting.<\/p>\n
The land, which used to be a swampy area, like most of Jakarta
\nbefore the Dutch developed it and introduced water management,
\nwas reportedly developed in 1950 by local people. Most of the
\nresidents are simple street vendors, drivers and construction
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
Commission A deputy chairman Syarifien Maloko who met the
\ncrowd of evictees on Monday, telephoned North Jakarta Mayor
\nSubagyo to ask him to temporarily stop the eviction.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Subagyo has promised me to temporarily stop the eviction
\nuntil it was discussed further with the residents,\" Syarifien of
\nthe Crescent and Star Party (PBB) told the residents.<\/p>\n
He said it was unfortunate that the administration had
\nforcibly evicted them and injured some.<\/p>\n
Syarifien and other councillors will fulfill the residents'
\ndemand to inspect the location on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso's policy on slum dwellers and
\nsquatters has been repeatedly criticized for its \"militaristic
\napproach and violence, such as forced eviction\".<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso, who was recently reelected for his second term in
\nSeptember, started his eviction policy two weeks ago in
\nPulogadung bus terminal, where about a thousand undocumented
\nstreet vendors were forcibly evicted.<\/p>\n
A few days after his inauguration as a governor, the former
\nJakarta military commander announced that the administration
\nwould expel undocumented migrants (those from other parts of the
\ncountry, mostly rural Java) from the metropolis.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/evicted-residents-in-rally-seek-compensation-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}