Danger unites Kelapa Gading residents to face threats

Danger unites Kelapa Gading residents to face threats

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Danger has the capacity to unite different people to brave a
common threat. That is the case for Kelapa Gading residents in
North Jakarta who are now protesting the construction of a sports
complex which they believe violates land use regulations.

"We are not afraid as we are ready to face all risks," Harry
AR, 63, who resides less than 20 meters from the project area,
told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Referring to a notice placed in the area, Harry said, the lot
could only be developed for social facilities, which includes the
construction of schools or state offices.

Most developers violate the regulation that obliges them to
build social and public facilities in their project area. But no
firm action is taken by the authorities against the delinquent
developers while local residents are usually resigned to their
fate.

The resistance against the Kelapa Gading sports complex would
be the first of its kind.

Hundreds of Kelapa Gading residents, mostly of the middle to
upper income bracket, threatened on Monday to sue the city
administration.

Earlier, many of them had physically tried to stop the project
without success as the developer was backed by hundreds of police
officers and public order officers.

Another resident said they also experienced intimidation from
thugs hired by the project developer.

In fear of continued intimidation, some residents were forced
to flee to safer places with their families.

The residents also reported attempts to bribe them to back off
from the protest.

Instead of being deterred by the threats and bribery, the
residents' awareness of the law and public responsibility has
grown.

"The dispute has taught me a lot about the law and other
regulations, something that I was not familiar with before," said
Suwandi S., a neighborhood unit chief.

The planned stadium, which will include an international-
standard basketball arena and a mall with 264 kiosks is being
developed on an empty plot of land in the middle of a housing
complex. It will be constructed by a subsidiary of private
company PT Satria Mahaka, under the build operate transfer (BOT)
system.

Access to the site is a narrow street, Jl. Kelapa Nias Raya,
of only six meters width, made of paving blocks, instead of
asphalt.

The residents protested the construction as it would create
more traffic congestion in the narrow streets and threaten their
security.