Fire victims ready to seek legal advise

Fire victims ready to seek legal advise

JAKARTA (JP): Fire victims in Karet Tengsin plan to seek legal
help if the Central Jakarta mayoralty does not allow them to
rebuild their houses.

A residents' spokesman, who did not want to be identified,
said yesterday the residents had land ownership documents which
the fire destroyed. Therefore, victims had the right to rebuild
their houses and would seek advice from the Jakarta Legal Aid
Institute (LBH), he said.

Central Jakarta Mayor Abdul Kahfi said Sunday the land
belonged to the mayoralty and was designated for an environment
and river rehabilitation program. "Thus the fire victims are not
allowed to rebuild their houses," he said.

He said the residents could stay for a while in the basement
of the Karet Tengsin low-cost apartment block and in nearby
mosques.

The residents said they had not been informed about whether
they could rebuild their houses.

A resident, Hendrawan, said the subdistrict head Syaiful
Bachri held a meeting with community and neighborhood leaders
yesterday morning. "Nothing about the prohibition was discussed,"
he said.

He said he had not heard about the environmental and river
rehabilitation program. "What we heard was that a low-cost
apartment building would be built here."

However, Kahfi said residents were told about the environment
and river rehabilitation program four years ago.

One resident said "we want to ask LBH for advice if the mayor
bans us from rebuilding our houses".

He said many residents had land ownership certificates. "But
many of the documents were destroyed in the fire," he said.

Another resident, a taxi driver, said he lost almost all of
his belongings, including his land ownership certificate, in the
fire. "I could only save my TV set," he said.

At least 200 families have been homeless since fires ravaged
more than 125 houses in the slum area along the Krukut river.

Officials said an electrical short circuit caused the fire.

Despite the uncertainty several residents have started to
build makeshift houses.

The fire victims are now living in the apartment basement. A
communal kitchen and health post have been set up by Pemuda
Pancasila's student organization. Pemuda Pancasila is a youth
organization affiliated to Golkar. (jun/02)