Authorities' move to seize Tebet site turns into conflict
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)