Fire victims seek LBH help

Fire victims seek LBH help

JAKARTA (JP): Nine residents of Penjaringan Muara Karang,
North Jakarta, went to the Jakarta Legal Aid Institution (LBH)
yesterday to seek help and protection from the city
administration, which they claimed has arbitrarily demolished
their kiosks and houses, previously gutted by a fire.

Abdulah, the leader of the delegation, told several LBH
officials that their kiosks and houses, which they rebuilt after
the fire razed the area on July 15, were bulldozed by city
officials, police and military personnel on July 22.

He said the officials demolished the buildings without prior
warning or a demolition order.

"The residents were almost involved in physical clashes with
the officials," Abdulah said.

A few days after the demolition, a resident, Robert, was
summoned to the subdistrict office where he was pressured into
leaving the site with the other fire victims as soon as possible,
he added.

The Jakarta LBH criticized the city administration's high-
handed action and promised the homeless residents that it will do
its best to resolve the problem, the institution's spokesperson
Dewi Novirianti said.

There were 71 families and 150 buildings on the site before
the fire gutted it. Other buildings destroyed in the fire were
kiosks and shops. (bas)