Human Rights commission seeks governor's help<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights has
\nwritten to the Jakarta administration requesting help in settling
\nthe alleged illegal flattening of houses in the Ancol and
\nPenjaringan subdistricts in North Jakarta last week.<\/p>\n
\"We have decided to send a letter to Jakarta Governor Surjadi
\nSoedirdja to clear the allegation reported by Ancol and
\nPenjaringan residents,\" Clementino dos Reis Amaral, a commission
\nmember, told reporters after receiving the residents on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Amaral said the commission will agree with any of the
\ngovernor's actions as long as they are for the residents'
\nprosperity.<\/p>\n
The letter was in response to a request by a visiting
\ndelegation of about 200 residents of the two subdistricts, who
\nasked for the commission's help in their battle against the North
\nJakarta mayoralty.<\/p>\n
The delegation was received by two commission members, Amaral
\nand Albert Hasibuan.<\/p>\n
\"We asked for the governor's help because the rights
\ncommission does not have the authority to investigate
\ngovernmental affairs,\" Amaral said.<\/p>\n
\"We can only establish a fact-finding team to collect data and
\ninformation and then give recommendations to related
\ninstitutions,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The delegation earlier asked the rights commission to
\ninvestigate the case. They also demanded the North Jakarta
\nadministration compensate them for their damaged belongings.<\/p>\n
The local administration had promised them Rp 50,000 (US$21.7)
\nper family in compensation, which they claimed to be
\ninsufficient.<\/p>\n
The residents told the rights commission that their homes had
\nbeen pulled down by the North Jakarta administration without
\nprior notice.<\/p>\n
\"We received no announcement before the North Jakarta
\nadministration ordered the flattening of our houses and
\nbelongings,\" Moh. Suyuth, who led the delegation, said.<\/p>\n
He said that the local administration should have pre-warned
\nthem of its plan to demolish their houses.<\/p>\n
The residents lived along the Opak riverbank, which the local
\ngovernment has declared a non-residential area. Their houses were
\ndemolished and their belongings destroyed by heavy equipment last
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
\"We realize that we have no legal land ownership, yet we need
\nsome preparation to leave the area,\" Suyuth said.<\/p>\n
\"They should have followed procedures, giving us three
\nwarnings before flattening our houses,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Asmawati, a mother of eight children claiming to have lived in
\nthe area for 20 years, said she has no idea where to go after
\nlosing her home.<\/p>\n
\"I need the compensation money very much, either for renting a
\nhouse or for returning to my hometown in Central Java,\" she
\nsaid.(imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/human-rights-commission-seeks-governors-help-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}