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)