Feisal denies forced was used in fire site demolition<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces Commander, Gen. Feisal
\nTandjung, said on Saturday that there was no forcible demolition
\ndone in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The authorities did not use force in the demolition in the
\narea razed by fire recently\", Feisal told newsmen before a
\ncabinet coordination meeting at the Bina Graha Presidential
\nOffice started.<\/p>\n
Feisal said that the authorities had followed the proper
\nprocedures before resorting to the demolition.<\/p>\n
The demolition on Friday at 4:30 a.m. was carried out by
\nhundreds of workers and members of the civil defense corps,
\nbacked by military and police officers.<\/p>\n
City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochamad Hindarto said on Saturday
\nthat one area resident was formally put under arrest by the
\npolice after intensive questioning.<\/p>\n
Newly-installed Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Murawi
\nEffendi, said the suspect, identified as Anton, was detained when
\nhe tried to attack police officers with a large knife.<\/p>\n
Antara news agency quoted a police officer as saying that
\npolice had to use teargas to disperse the residents, who scuffled
\nwith the police and military officers on Tuesday when they tried
\nto demolish the houses.<\/p>\n
The city administration has repeatedly warned the area
\nresidents not to rebuild their homes in the 1.5-hectare area,
\nwhich was ravaged by fire on Sept. 9, on the grounds that it will
\nbe used for the development of low-cost apartments for them.<\/p>\n
The city administration has agreed to give Rp 400,000
\n(US$190), over and above the compensation payments for their
\nproperty, to each of the families to help them rent housing
\npending the completion of the apartments.<\/p>\n
The squatters, however, opposed the government plan to build
\napartments and refused the amount offered in compensation for
\ntheir homes, asking instead that it be increased from Rp 235,000
\nto Rp 1 million per square meter.<\/p>\n
The residents say they would prefer to use the compensation
\nmoney to buy other houses in Jakarta suburbs or to move to the
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
Besides the strong protests of the Bendungan Hilir residents,
\nthe chairman of the Institute for the Defense of Human Rights
\nH.J.C. Princen has also raised strong objections over the
\ndemolition.<\/p>\n
Princen condemned the forcible demolition, saying that the
\nofficials had ignored the governor's instructions to postpone the
\ndemolition.<\/p>\n
Concern<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, City Councilors have voiced concern over the
\ndecision of the city administration to use force in the
\ndemolition at Bendungan Hilir.<\/p>\n
\"I support the city's plan to build a low-cost apartment for
\nthem but I disagree with the way the authorities demolished the
\nhouses at 4:30 a.m.,\" councilor Mohammad Banang of the United
\nDevelopment Party faction said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Councilor Edi Sukiswantari Probo of the ruling Golkar faction
\nsaid that the authorities should have not used teargas in the
\ndemolition process, while councilor Abdoelhamid Notowidagdo of
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party faction, said the authorities
\noveracted.<\/p>\n
And Councilor H. Sumekar Kartawijaya of the Armed Forces
\nfaction said that the city should use persuasive tactics rather
\nthan force in dealing with the residents.<\/p>\n
\"The city officials should be able to convince them that the
\nplan to build low-cost apartments is for their own good,\" Sumekar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
However, none of the councilors blamed Governor Surjadi
\nSoedirdja for the incident.<\/p>\n
Sumekar said that the conflict must have been caused by
\nGovernor Surjadi Soedirdja's subordinates who misunderstood their
\nleader's orders.<\/p>\n
\"I was his subordinate in the Jakarta Military Command and I
\nam sure that the demolition's timing was not his idea,\" Sumekar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Sumekar said that residents facing demolition of their homes
\nfor the construction of better housing should keep their emotions
\nin check and try to understand that the scarcity of land space in
\nJakarta has forced the city to expand vertically.<\/p>\n
\"They have to learn that the concept of vertical housing is a
\nmust for Jakarta,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Councilor Edi said that PT Kuningan Persada, a private
\nproperty firm owned by tycoon Sudwikatmono, has allocated more
\nthan Rp 10 billion to finance the construction of low-cost
\napartments at the site. (mas\/bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/feisal-denies-forced-was-used-in-fire-site-demolition-1447893297",
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