Homes Demolished by Army in Lenteng Agung, Residents Baffled About Where to Go

One hundred and fifty-two homes in the Lenteng Agung area, Jagakarsa District, South Jakarta, have been targeted for demolition by the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) since Tuesday (9/6/2026). The reason is that the houses are considered to be standing on state-owned land. One of the affected residents, Supri (60 years old), stated that the process has been ongoing since 2024 when residents received the first warning letter (SP1) to vacate their homes. The warning letter was issued three times. However, residents continued to occupy the homes they have lived in for decades because there was no compensation from the TNI AD. “Essentially, the community would actually be willing to move if there was a goodwill payment, because of what? These buildings date from the 1950s. Automatically, if the occupants had not repaired them, they would have collapsed,” he said on Thursday (11/6/2026). According to him, no proper compensation has been provided by the TNI AD to date. In fact, such compensation should have been given before the demolition was carried out. “But there is none, absolutely none,” he said. Eventually, on Tuesday (9/6/2026) morning, hundreds of soldiers arrived at the area, which is the former Yonzikon 15 barracks. Without any prior notice, the soldiers asked residents to vacate their homes. The arrival of the soldiers naturally met with resistance from residents. The situation caused tension between the residents and the soldiers. “Yesterday there were also casualties, in the sense that the casualties were not due to this, but due to hysteria. Because they were in shock, yes. There was someone who had just had surgery yesterday who fainted several times there,” said the child of a retired soldier, describing the conditions on Wednesday afternoon. Supri acknowledged that his house is on state-owned land. Because of this, residents also cannot continue to hold out on the land. However, he asked that the TNI AD provide compensation to the residents. This is because the residents are also confused about where to go after their homes have been demolished. “I was born here myself. We are hoping for proper compensation. At the very least, so we can buy a small house,” he said. Supri admitted he has tried to find a rented house for his future living situation. However, he is still confused about his future. Especially now, as he has no steady job in his old age. “Well, I do not know how. I just surrender,” he said.