Siliwangi residents sue Jakarta governor<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Dozens of residents of a disputed plot of land on Jl. Senen Raya
\nfiled a lawsuit against Governor Sutiyoso for issuing an order to
\nvacate the area in the absence of a valid document to back the
\neviction, a lawyer said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Reinhard Parapat of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
\nAssociation (PBHI), said the case had been filed at the Jakarta
\nState Administrative Court.<\/p>\n
"The governor's instruction is not valid because it is based
\non a forged title certificate, known as Siliwangi housing
\ncomplex. The current residents are the valid owners of the land,"
\nhe told a media briefing.<\/p>\n
The order, which was signed by Sutiyoso on Oct. 2, instructed
\nthe Central Jakarta mayor and the head of Jakarta's Public Order
\nAgency to clear the land. It states that the instruction was
\nbased on a land title certificate owned by the Ministry of
\nFinance.<\/p>\n
"The certificate was issued in 1988 while the legal dispute
\nover the land was still going on," said Reinhard. "By law, the
\nauthorities cannot issue a certificate for disputed land until
\nthe matter is settled."<\/p>\n
The dispute began in 1981 when the government through the then
\nMinistry of Security and Defense claimed the 9.4-hectare land,
\nwhich is located right behind the offices of the Ministry of
\nFinance.<\/p>\n
There were about 300 families living in the area back then.
\nMost were families of military veterans and officers from the
\nArmy, the Air Force, the Navy and the National Police, who had
\nlived there since 1950.<\/p>\n
But the number dwindled to 27 families after several
\nevictions. Once in 1984 military troops bulldozed the houses.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile on Wednesday, 10 families, heirs of Noto Soewarno,
\nwho claimed ownership of a plot of land in Radio Dalam, South
\nJakarta, filed a complaint with the National Police over the
\nalleged forgery of the land title certificate by publicly listed
\nPT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI).<\/p>\n
Lawyer Wilmar Sitorus said in 1959, BRI, at that time known as
\nPT Bank Tani and Nelayan, bought the land from Noto Soewarno, but
\nless than half the amount had been paid.<\/p>\n
According to Wilmar, PT BRI has never fully settled the
\npayment. However, in 1985, the then Directorate General of Land
\nAffairs issued an ownership certificate for PT BRI.<\/p>\n
Noto Soewarno's heirs were prompted to take up the case again
\nwhen the land was put up for auction by the Indonesian Bank
\nRestructuring Agency in September.<\/p>\n
"We went to the auction, distributing copies of our complaint
\nto the Jakarta Police," said Wilmar. "The potential buyers read
\nit and canceled their bid."<\/p>",
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