Eviction of squatters turns ugly in Batam, rioting erupts<\/p>\n
Fadli, Batam<\/p>\n
A riot erupted on Thursday when police and public order officers
\ntried to evict more than 400 illegal houses on the industrial
\nisland of Batam, Riau province.<\/p>\n
At least two people were shot by police and seven others were
\nbeaten, while several cars including two belonging to television
\nstations, were burned or damaged during the unrest.<\/p>\n
The violence forced local traders to close their stores for
\nfear they would be attacked.<\/p>\n
The clashes started after public order officers assisted by
\npolice personnel arrived at around 9 a.m. to bulldoze the
\nillegally constructed shanties in Tanah Longsor, Lubuk Baja
\nsubdistrict.<\/p>\n
However, hundreds of squatters violently resisted the attempt
\nto evict them from their shacks, which were built on a 10-hectare
\nsite belonging to housing developer PT Cikitsu.<\/p>\n
The local administration promised to pay the squatters Rp 2
\nmillion each, but they refused to move.<\/p>\n
Instead, the squatters pelted stones at the security officers,
\nwrecked one of their trucks and set ablaze a car belonging to the
\nBatam Authority's security directorate.<\/p>\n
The rioters also damaged two cars belonging to two private
\ntelevision stations, SCTV and Metro TV.<\/p>\n
In response, police officers fired shots at the rioters,
\nwounding two of them, who were later identified as Freedy, 28,
\nand Safredi, 20.<\/p>\n
Seven other people were also slightly injured in the clash.
\nHowever, all nine victims were allowed to leave the two local
\nhospitals where they were being treated some hours later.<\/p>\n
SCTV and Metro TV cameramen said they tried to flee the
\nviolence in their cars, but the enraged rioters stoned their
\nvehicles.<\/p>\n
Toni, a squatter, said the local residents refused to accept
\nthe compensation from the Batam municipal administration,
\nlabeling the amount on offer as derisory.<\/p>\n
The riot ended after around three hours when Batam legislative
\ncouncil speaker Soeryo Respationo intervened and asked the
\nrepresentatives of the squatters to restart negotiations at the
\ncouncil building in Batam Center.<\/p>\n
The talks, which were convened later in the day, decided to
\ndelay indefinitely the planned eviction of the squatters.<\/p>\n
Barelang deputy police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Heru Winarko told
\nThe Jakarta Post that at least two persons were being questioned
\nfor allegedly inciting the unrest.<\/p>\n
\"We are questioning two persons. We have not yet determined
\nwhether they will be treated as suspects or witnesses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The security situation in Tanah Longsor returned to normal in
\nthe afternoon, though dozens of automotive repair and spare parts
\nshops had to close.<\/p>\n
The building of illegal shelters, now numbering more than
\n40,000, has been a long-standing problem in Batam, which is
\nlocated some 20 kilometers away from neighboring Singapore.<\/p>\n
The squatters, mostly from other provinces, began to establish
\ntheir settlements illegally when the island was made an
\nindustrial zone during the administration of former president
\nSoeharto.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/eviction-of-squatters-turns-ugly-in-batam-rioting-erupts-1447893297",
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