Historical house wrecked despite order to delay

Historical house wrecked despite order to delay

JAKARTA (JP): A former country house in Palmerah, Central
Jakarta, has been flattened to the ground at the request of its
owner, despite an order from the city development supervision
agency to halt demolition.

"Pak Indra Gunawan, the owner, told me to tear it down as
people might get hurt by the remaining structure," Mohammad, the
contractor, told The Jakarta Post Saturday.

The contractor said Indra is ill. He failed to show up at a
scheduled meeting last week with officials in charge of artifacts
protection.

Mohammad said he had not notified the development supervision
agency which sealed the remaining structure on Thursday that the
demolition was being continued.

"Pak Indra said he will face the agency himself," he said.

The order to seal the house was issued on request of the
municipal museum and history agency. Officials of the agency said
that the house, built in 1790, is under government protection
based on the 1992 law on historical buildings and artifacts.

However, the building, categorized as a country house, was not
included in a list attached to a 1993 gubernatorial decree of
protected buildings in the city, which includes 67 buildings in
Central Jakarta.

Officials of the museum and history agency, and from the
agency for buildings and renovation, could not explain why the
house on Jl. Gelora XI has been dropped from the list.

Various factors, such as the financial ability of the owner to
take care of an old building, are usually considered in taking a
building off preservation lists.

"I have shown the ownership certificates and the 1993 list to
the Tanah Abang office of the development supervision agency.
This building is not included in the list," Mohammad said.

Indra Riawan of the museum and history agency has taken parts
of the ruins to the agency office. These include doors and
windows, large tiles and bricks. Only the outside features of the
building had been documented before its destruction.

The house was last known to be the subject of dispute between
heirs of the previous owner, a Chinese landlord and descendants
of the Arya Jipang family.

"I hope all the publication will help me sell these ruins,"
Mohammad said.

Other sources said the owner is considering building a hotel
on the site. (anr)