Residents protest land confiscation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of residents of Cilegon, West Java,
\nvisited the National Commission on Human Rights office Thursday,
\ncomplaining that their land had been illegally confiscated by
\nstate-owned steel manufacturing company PT Krakatau Steel.<\/p>\n
Hasan Basri, spokesman of the delegation, told commission
\nmembers Soegiri and M. Salim that the residents had never sold
\ntheir land, but that the 14-hectare land area had been claimed by
\nthe company.<\/p>\n
\"We never sold our land and we still have our original land
\ntitles. We never received any compensation either,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the problem began when local government officials
\nordered residents in the area to sell their land to the company
\nbetween 1971 and 1973.<\/p>\n
Those who did not abide by the order were shocked to find in
\n1983 that Krakatau held new titles of ownership on their land
\nfrom the government, Hasan said.<\/p>\n
The residents have pursued legal routes to settle the matter
\nbut have failed to date, he said, adding that their lawsuit filed
\nagainst the firm at the Serang District Court was turned down
\nlast August.<\/p>\n
The residents then appealed to the West Java High Court, he
\nsaid. \"But our lawyer said the high court also rejected the
\nsuit.\"<\/p>\n
Soegiri told the residents to follow legal procedures, saying
\nthat the commission could not do much since the case had been
\nbrought to court.<\/p>\n
\"If the case had not yet been brought to court, maybe we could
\nhave helped you meet with the company and other parties to
\ndiscuss the problem,\" he said. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/residents-protest-land-confiscation-1447893297",
"image": ""
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