Bendungan Hilir demolition turns into riot
Bendungan Hilir demolition turns into riot
JAKARTA (JP): Members of civil defense corps and police
officers armed with riot shields and rattan sticks scuffled with
more than 1,000 throwing stones residents of the Bendungan Hilir
subdistrict in Central Jakarta following a dispute over land
eviction yesterday.
"Allahuakbar, Allahuakbar (God is great, God is great),"
yelled the residents as they were blocking the entrances of their
three hectare area with cupboards and house pillars.
Failing to expel the residents and angered by the stone
throwing, officials began chasing and beating the protesters.
"We felt bad about the incident but have had to call on the
residents to give way to developers. It's for their own sake,"
said Mora Tua Simamora, the Central Jakarta Deputy-Mayor.
Simamora said the government had planned to develop and
subsidize a low cost apartment building following a fire that
destroyed the slum area on Sept. 9.
Three residents who were injured in the scuffle were carried
to a hospital and had their injured heads stitched.
"When I grow up, I am going to take revenge," groaned a 15-
year-old Andi Supandi, a student of a high school in Kebun Jeruk
area, West Jakarta, referring to two officials who hit his head
with steel rods.
Another victim, Jarot, has 20 stitches in his head. "We were
beaten in the subdistrict office after being grabbed in the
scuffle," he said, referring to Bendungan Hilir subdistrict
office next door to the area.
Compensation
The Central Jakarta administration has repeatedly told 465
families living on the old fire site in the subdistrict to take
the compensation offered by the government or face demolition.
Simamora added that the government will help provide Rp
400,000 (US$190) to rent a house for a year for each of the
residents pending the completion of the apartments.
The residents hoisted national flags and banners of the ruling
party Golkar.
"We are supporters of Golkar. We cannot understand this kind
of incident. This is a state governed by law, isn't it? Why don't
they try to solve the problem before the court?" said Muhammad
Mulyadi, a leader of the protesters.
Mulyadi said that the residents earlier sent an eight member
delegate to discuss the problem with the government, which turned
out to be a failure.
The land clearance committee offered the fire victims
compensation of Rp 235,000 ($107) per square meter of land, far
below the Rp 1 million asked by the land owners.
After holding a one hour meeting with other officials in Tanah
Abang district, Simamora said yesterday that the government will
study the problem thoroughly.
He declined to give details about his next step, however,
saying that the residents will be able to pay for their
apartments in installments over 15 and 20 years.
Ratnawati, Andi's mother, told The Jakarta Post that Rp
400,000 is too little for renting a house, adding that the
residents doubted whether they could afford the so-called low
cost apartments.(09)