Eviction peaceful after violence

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.