Kalideres big family protests at City Council<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 150 members of a family living
\ntogether in Kalideres, West Jakarta, went to the City Council
\nyesterday to ask for help in the settlement of their land dispute
\nwith state oil company Pertamina.<\/p>\n
A lawyer representing the group, Djudjung Panjaitan, said they
\nwere the legal owners of the 1.3-hectare plot where they were
\ncurrently living.<\/p>\n
Pertamina claims the plot is part of a 20.5-hectare site it
\nbought, reportedly from developer PT Susam, in 1991.<\/p>\n
\"In fact the 1.3-hectare plot of land belongs to the
\nresidents. They never sold their property to any developer,\"
\nPanjaitan said.<\/p>\n
Haji Bentong's family were refusing to move away from their
\nland, he said. If Pertamina wanted to buy the land, the company
\nshould buy it directly from them, at the market price of Rp 1
\nmillion (US$392) per square meter, he said.<\/p>\n
Before any settlement was reached, a big Betawi-styled house
\nbelonging to the family was torn down by West Jakarta Mayoralty
\nofficers last Wednesday on a request from Pertamina.<\/p>\n
One of the land appropriation employees of PT Susam, M.
\nNurjaya, however confirmed that Pertamina's land did not cover
\nthe residents' land on Jl. Peta Selatan.<\/p>\n
Part of Pertamina's land had been sold by the oil company's
\nown officials and was developed into a housing complex, shops and
\nschool buildings, Panjaitan said.<\/p>\n
The family members who went to the City Council yesterday,
\nranging in age from under five to over 70, admitted they had lost
\ntheir land ownership certificates following an incident with the
\nlate Kalideres subdistrict head, Gani, Panjaitan said.<\/p>\n
Gani wanted to sell the family's land to PT Sirinco Jaya
\nMarmer Industry in 1979, the lawyer said.<\/p>\n
Sirinco, however, changed its mind after learning that the
\ndocuments had been obtained illegally.<\/p>\n
\"Since then the residents have never had the certificates. But
\ntheir ownership could be proved if they were allowed to do
\nresearch ... at the National Land Agency,\" Panjaitan said.<\/p>\n
The family met with MU. Fatommy Asaari of the Golkar faction,
\nLukman Mokoginta of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction and
\nAhmad Suaedi of the United Development Party faction.<\/p>\n
The councillors promised to discuss the problem in council
\nmeetings with related parties.<\/p>\n
Wednesday's demolition, conducted with assistance from police
\nand military personnel, followed a refusal by the family to
\nvacant the property.<\/p>\n
At least four people were injured when the officers forced
\nthem to move.<\/p>\n
The head of the family, Haji Bentong, said that parts of the
\nhouse used to be rented by nine other families, while the
\nremaining space was occupied by his relatives.<\/p>\n
But the nine families moved after the mayoralty paid them.
\n\"More than 150 members of our big family then moved into the
\nhouse,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Abdul Salam, 34, one of the wounded residents, said he was
\nbeaten and dragged to the nearby Kalideres police subprecinct.<\/p>\n
\"We asked the City Police chief and the Jakarta Military
\ncommander to punish their arrogant officers,\" Salam, who wore a
\nT-shirt stained with blood, said.<\/p>\n
Twelve residents of Jl. Tanggul Jaya, Penjaringan, in North
\nJakarta, also went to the City Council yesterday, demanding the
\nNorth Jakarta Mayoralty postpone evicting them from their homes
\nbuilt on the Cisadane riverbank for one year.<\/p>\n
The residents' spokesman, Sunarno, said that at least 1,600
\nfamilies, or more than 5,000 people, lived on the three-kilometer
\nriverbank.<\/p>\n
\"We knew that the land was not ours. But give us enough time
\nto make preparations to move,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the North Jakarta Mayoralty planned to clear their
\nmakeshift houses next week.<\/p>\n
Sunarno said the mayoralty also said that the residents would
\nbe paid Rp 50,000 (US$19.2) a house. \"It's not enough for us,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The residents were received by several coucillors, led by
\nSaamin from the Golkar faction.<\/p>\n
Saamin promised to discuss the problem with related parties in
\ncouncil meetings. (jun\/07)<\/p>",
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