Authorities' move to seize Tebet site turns into conflict
JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of people were injured and several cars damaged yesterday in an ugly stone throwing incident when an attempt by security forces to occupy the site of the Tebet fire was resisted by the area's former homeowners.
Some members of the force, which included personnel from the police, military and the South Jakarta Law and Order Office, were injured in the clash.
After around a half-hour of stone throwing, the officers dropped their attempts to occupy the one-hectare fire site by force.
But the residents remained worried over a possible return of the forces.
"They (officers) may come back any time so we have to be alert all the time," Hasibuan, one of the fire victims, said.
It was the first attempt by the mayoralty to forcibly occupy the plot since a fire razed the 230 homes there on May 11. The blaze left more than 1,000 residents homeless.
The mayoralty administration resorted to force after they failed to persuade the residents to stop rebuilding their homes and accept its plan build low-cost apartments there.
"We don't oppose the mayoralty administration's plan to build apartments. But give us reasonable compensation and let's decide whether we will stay in the apartment," said Hasibuan.
The Jakarta Post saw around 200 officers, armed with batons, shields and tear gas arrive at the site in West Tebet subdistrict, South Jakarta at 10 a.m. along with three bulldozers, several trucks, an ambulance, a fire engine, and dozens of workers specially hired to demolish the rebuilt homes.
"It is the instruction of the mayor," Rustam Effendy, assistant to the South Jakarta mayor in charge of administrative affairs, told the fire victims over a microphone.
Soon after the announcement the officers cordoned off all the roads leading to the location.
Some senior area residents, led by neighborhood chief Tumar, had reportedly tried in vain to negotiate with the officers in an effort to prevent any physical conflict.
Tear gas
"Aware about the imminent demolition order from the mayoralty administration of their premises, the fire victims, who remained in the area, quickly fetched their children at nearby school buildings and their friends at work to defend their land," said Mufti Sudaryanto, another resident.
Prayer, banners
In addition, dozens of women took to the street junction at the corner of the fire site and held a prayer service. The women sat in the middle of the street, while the youngsters started to build makeshift tents around them and put up banners.
ABRI has to protect the people read a banner attached to a makeshift tent.
The clash erupted around the middle of the day when 1000 youths -- mostly teenagers -- began throwing stones at a group of officers who approached the praying women.
The officers protected themselves with their shields and threw tear gas at the attackers.
This proved an unfortunate course of action, as the wind blew the gas towards the officers and engulfed them.
An officer later fired a warning shot to drive the enraged youths away, but this only elicited a flurry of molotov cocktails from the group, which damaged the municipal guards cars parked nearby as well as a block of office buildings in front of the area.
At least four cars, including the fire engine, had windows damaged in the attack.
The youngsters and the officers exchanged stones for 15 minutes, injuring dozens of people on both sides before the clash ended with the officers agreeing to leave the area.
"We have tear gas, but the wind is blowing towards us," said Rustam in disappointment, scanning the street littered with rocks.
Rustam said he still had no idea as to what the mayoralty administration would do after the failed attempt to occupy the fire site.
After the officers left the area, the youngsters cried in joy and went on to vandalize the makeshift tent the municipal guards had previously used as a station to inspect the fire site. (jsk)