Rights body to probe slum demolition case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights has
\npledged to investigate a slum demolition case filed by a North
\nJakarta slum community of Kampung Bahari.<\/p>\n
\"We'll check with the North Jakarta mayoralty regarding the
\nallegedly siphoned-off compensation fund for the slum dwellers,\"
\nSoegiri, a member of the commission told the community on Monday.<\/p>\n
Some 20 residents present at the office of the commission said
\ntheir homes had been demolished by personnel of the public works
\nministry.<\/p>\n
This is their second visit to the commission office in two
\nmonths. Some of the residents claimed that they had bought the
\nland from Perum Pelabuhan, a state-run company administering the
\nJakarta port. Others claimed that they had legal building permits
\nfor their houses and paid their Land and Building taxes every
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Rusbah, a resident, told The Jakarta Post that the community
\nof the slum by Kali Tiram's bank was invited by the local
\ndistrict personnel two months ago and was told to relinquish
\ntheir land rights for the sake of a river's cleaning project.<\/p>\n
The residents said they agreed to give up their lands with a
\ncompensation but there had never been talks about the amount of
\nthe compensation money until their houses were demolished.<\/p>\n
\"It didn't crossed our minds that our lands will be brusquely
\nappropriated without compensation,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Rusbah said that residents had been ping-ponged from one
\ngovernment agency to another in the last two months in their
\nsearch of explanation about the compensation money.<\/p>\n
Residents said three days before the Idul Fitri holidays,
\npublic works and security personnel came to smash their homes,
\nleaving most residents homeless during the holidays. Some,
\nhowever, still refused to go and clinged to whatever left of
\ntheir houses.<\/p>\n
\"They have to cross my dead body first before they totally
\ndemolish my house,\" said a resident who said she now has only two
\nsquare meters left to share with her family.<\/p>\n
\"I gave away all the food I bought for the festivities to my
\nneighbors,\" Tarjo, a driver of motorcycle taxi, said.(14)<\/p>",
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