Tebet fire victims may compromise with government<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of the West Tebet fire victims
\nsaid yesterday they are not in principle opposed to the city
\nadministration plan to build an apartment building on the fire
\nsite, but want the city to compromise.<\/p>\n
The area residents initially turned down the apartment plan.<\/p>\n
A nine-man delegation, led by Tumar, chief of the neighborhood
\ndestroyed in the fire, gave city councilors from Commission A on
\nagrarian affairs three ways to end the deadlock.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's meeting was chaired by Suwarno Murjo from ABRI
\n(Armed Forces).<\/p>\n
The ideal option for the residents would be to rebuild their
\nhouses on the site.<\/p>\n
The second would be for the municipality to build the
\napartments for and interested residents, while the rest would be
\ncompensated for their land.<\/p>\n
"If the mayoralty insists on building the low-cost apartment
\nfor the fire victims, we proposed that the city administration
\nbuild some temporary marketplace elsewhere in the same
\nneighborhood where we can still run our business pending the
\ncompletion of the development of the apartment," said Tumar.<\/p>\n
Most of the 230 families who had their houses burned by the
\nMay 11 fire were reportedly traders.<\/p>\n
In addition, Tumar proposed that units at the apartment
\nbuilding be enlarged to 27 square meters each instead of 18
\nsquare meters as originally proposed by the municipal
\nadministration. The original size, he said, is more fitted to "a
\nfamily of three children".<\/p>\n
He also said the amount of compensation they deserve should be
\ntaken into account by the city administration in determining the
\ncost they pay for each unit.<\/p>\n
"If our compensation later turns outs to be more than the
\nprice of each unit, we should get the remainder of the money,"
\nsaid Tumar.<\/p>\n
According to a 1975 regulation of the Home Affairs Ministry,
\nsquatters living on state land deserve 25 percent of the lands
\nvalue, said Sutarno, chairman of Commission A.<\/p>\n
The delegation said the actual land price in the area is Rp 2
\nmillion (US$931.5) per square meter, while the property assessor
\nhas place its value at less than 1.5 million ($698.6) per square
\nmeter.<\/p>\n
"I really appreciate the goodwill on the part of the residents
\nto support the program of the municipal administration plan. I
\nthink they deserve some compensation," said Romulus Sihombing, a
\nmember of commission A from the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI).<\/p>\n
Romulus refused to specify the amount of compensation, hinting
\nit "somewhere around the figure stated in the property tax".<\/p>\n
Talks<\/p>\n
Tumar said the fire victims had failed to outline their
\nproposals to city officials in any meeting held before because
\nthe officials preferred to brief them on the apartment plan.<\/p>\n
"We are truly now intending to resume talks with city leaders
\nabout the issue," said Tumar.<\/p>\n
Though the South Jakarta mayoralty officials insisted they had
\nseveral meetings with residents in the wake of the fire, Romulus
\nsaid that Tuesday's violent clash between the fire victims and
\nsecurity officers indicated a lack of communication.<\/p>\n
"There are many examples showing that the area residents are
\nwilling to accept the program of the municipal administration if
\nit adopts persuasive measures. Why should we use bulldozers and
\ntear gas? It's not suitable for the residents as well as the
\nauthorities. It smeared the government's image," Romulus told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
In a related development, Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, spokesman for
\nthe city police, denounced the allegation that the officers had
\ntrampled the residents during the Tuesday's clash.<\/p>\n
"Instead, it was the officers who were fiercely attacked," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The residents told the Post yesterday that thus far there have
\nbeen no reprisals for Tuesday's violent clash.<\/p>\n
"Everything is okay, but we are always watchful," said
\nDarunomo, a senior resident. (jsk)<\/p>",
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