Eviction peaceful after violence

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

After two days of violence, the forcible eviction of dozens of houses in the North Sumatra capital of Medan by local security and order officers ended peacefully on Friday.

The peace was finally achieved after the victims from Jl. Dr Cipto in the neighborhood of Anggrung Medan accepted the compensation for their houses offered by the local administration.

Two bulldozers brought in by property developer PT Agra Citra Karisma (ACK) started destroying and flattening houses at around 4:30 p.m.

Owners of the demolished houses were seen submitting to their own fate, while collecting their household goods from the ruins. There were no reports of resistance from any of them.

The eviction by the developer assisted by dozens of security and order officers in Medan had several times failed due to strong resistance and challenges by hundreds of local residents.

Clashes broke out on Wednesday and Thursday between residents, including women and children, as security and order officers tried to force their way in and bulldoze the houses.

Many of the victims, carrying molotov cocktails (small, crude fuel bombs), stones and weapons, challenged the officers.

Several people were injured in the violence, in which shots were fired.

A private TV journalist was reportedly abducted for her coverage of the foiled eviction. However, the report was not confirmed.

During the two-day clashes, the residents closed the roads into their area by setting tires ablaze.

Angrung village head Chairil Anwar said the developer paid between Rp 65 million (US$7,647) and Rp 100 billion in compensation for each building affected by the eviction.

"The local residents demand the compensations because they have been living there for 55 years," he added.

Anwi, a local resident, said that although he could accept the compensation, he could not accept the way the people were evicted because it involved local security officers.

"My house had been destroyed before I received the compensation," he added.

However, Han Sin who represented the developer, claimed the eviction was done accordingly as his company had offered compensation to the people.

"The compensation was paid based on the assessment of the conditions of houses," he said.

There was no need to compensate for their land as the company had bought the area years before, Han added.