Councilors urge mayor to solve Koja land dispute

JAKARTA (JP): Councilors urged North Jakarta Mayor Suprawito yesterday to keep calm in settling the growing dispute over a plot of land in Koja Utara which is earmarked for port development.

The dispute involves land owners who demand higher compensation, the mayor and the state-owned PT Pelindo seaport company which will build a cargo terminal.

The councilors urged the mayor to stop threatening people and instead try to solve the problem amicably.

Djeni Suharso, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), told reporters yesterday that threats will not settle the problem, possibly only worsen it.

"It is true that law should be enforced but it is not appropriate for the mayor to threaten residents because it will do no good in settling the dispute," Djeni said.

Mayor Suprawito has repeatedly threatened that he would take the residents to court unless they accept the compensation set by the government and move from the area.

The dispute started after PT Pelindo announced last year that it intended to appropriate 90 hectares of land inhabited by 9,037 families, or almost 40,000 people, where the company plans to build a new container terminal in a joint-venture with PT Humpuss, the diversified business group owned by the President's youngest son, Hutomo Mandala Putra.

After the failure to agree on the compensation amount, Mayor Suprawito tried to break the deadlock by raising it to between Rp 100,000 (US$46.80) and Rp 160,000 ($75) per square meter.

The level is Rp 10,000 ($4.60) higher than the rate set by PT Pelindo. The Koja residents, however, insist on Rp 2,275,000 ($1,066) per square meter.

Djeni advised the mayor to use the "persuasive" approach with the residents because threats are an inappropriate way to settle a dispute.

Djeni also urged the residents to soften their stance and not demand such a high amount of compensation so that the conflicting parties can reach an agreement.

Chairman of the PDI Lukman Mokoginta said it is important that the mayor does not force a solution that may cause another problem in the future.

On Monday, Suprawito threatened to file a law suit against the residents who refused to accept the compensation following a spate of incidents in which they vandalized the company's equipment on the disputed site.

Suprawito stressed that the project would continue at any cost and the mayoralty will soon start demolishing houses for which the owners have already received compensation.

Meanwhile, Hasan Saman, a spokesman for the Koja Utara residents denied the mayor's allegations that they had vandalized the company's heavy equipment. (yns)