Residents protest road access to Catholic school<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus and Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Although the road access to Sang Timur Catholic school in Karang
\nTengah, Tangerang regency, has again been blockaded by protesting
\nlocal residents, students keep coming to school.<\/p>\n
As their cars cannot reach the school, parents have to drop
\noff their children on the main road and let them to walk to
\nschool.<\/p>\n
\"Our children have to walk at least 500 meters to reach the
\nschool as no cars can enter the school from Jl. Raden Saleh. They
\nhave to walk along a small path to get to the school,\" Hillon
\nGoa, one of parents, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Most students, he said, do not mind walking that far but many
\nof them have disabilities.<\/p>\n
\"The school has autistic students, who find it hard to reach
\nthe school. Their parents have to accompany them every day as
\nthey panic easily,\" Hillon said.<\/p>\n
Several residents of Karang Tengah housing complex have
\nblocked the 100-meter long and four-meter wide road which is
\nstill under construction since Sunday morning. The residents
\nblocked the road that leads to the school by building zinc fences
\nto separate it from the main road, Jl. Raden Saleh.<\/p>\n
They also put a banner that reads: Local residents support the
\nclosure of the road access.<\/p>\n
The residents were protesting the construction of the road,
\narguing that the school's management Karya Sang Timur Foundation
\nhad no right to be granted a permit from the administration to
\nacquire land in the area and to construct its own road access.<\/p>\n
\"We were not informed about this at all ... The foundation
\nclaimed it had obtained approval from the Tangerang municipal
\nadministration,\" said Laman, head of community unit No. 13 in the
\nhousing complex.<\/p>\n
The residents are refusing to remove the zinc fence until the
\nadministration provides an explanation.<\/p>\n
The residents blockaded two roads to the school on Oct. 3 last
\nyear and built a concrete wall in front of the school's main
\ngate, saying that they were disturbed by the presence of the cars
\ntaking up the road when the car owners attended religious
\nservices held at the school for the local Saint Bernadette
\nparish.<\/p>\n
The residents, backed by other religious groups, shifted their
\ndemands to the closure of the school, that has been in existence
\nfor 12 years, which they said had violated the use permit of the
\nbuilding as it was used as a place of worship.<\/p>\n
The administration demolished the wall on Oct. 25, but locals
\ncontinued to prevent cars from passing through the neighborhood
\nto reach the school, forcing 2,417 students -- including 137
\nautistic and mentally disabled children -- to stay at home.<\/p>\n
The parents' forum urged Mayor Wahidin Halim to take immediate
\nmeasures to ensure that their children can study in peace.<\/p>\n
The closure made headlines last year, attracting attention
\nfrom many parties, including religious leaders, the National
\nCommission on Human Rights as well as the National Commission for
\nChild Protection.<\/p>\n
Former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid even visited the
\nschool and held an audience with the residents, but tension
\nremains in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Wahidin decided in November last year to assist the school's
\nmanagement to acquire land for road access, realizing that it
\nwould be difficult to persuade locals to sell part of their land
\nfor the purpose \"because the case, which was related to the use
\nof neighborhood streets has been linked with religious issues ...
\nthe residents have been provoked, and the problem has become more
\ndifficult to solve\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/residents-protest-road-access-to-catholic-school-1447893297",
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