Human Rights commission seeks governor's help

Human Rights commission seeks governor's help

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights has
written to the Jakarta administration requesting help in settling
the alleged illegal flattening of houses in the Ancol and
Penjaringan subdistricts in North Jakarta last week.

"We have decided to send a letter to Jakarta Governor Surjadi
Soedirdja to clear the allegation reported by Ancol and
Penjaringan residents," Clementino dos Reis Amaral, a commission
member, told reporters after receiving the residents on Thursday.

Amaral said the commission will agree with any of the
governor's actions as long as they are for the residents'
prosperity.

The letter was in response to a request by a visiting
delegation of about 200 residents of the two subdistricts, who
asked for the commission's help in their battle against the North
Jakarta mayoralty.

The delegation was received by two commission members, Amaral
and Albert Hasibuan.

"We asked for the governor's help because the rights
commission does not have the authority to investigate
governmental affairs," Amaral said.

"We can only establish a fact-finding team to collect data and
information and then give recommendations to related
institutions," he added.

The delegation earlier asked the rights commission to
investigate the case. They also demanded the North Jakarta
administration compensate them for their damaged belongings.

The local administration had promised them Rp 50,000 (US$21.7)
per family in compensation, which they claimed to be
insufficient.

The residents told the rights commission that their homes had
been pulled down by the North Jakarta administration without
prior notice.

"We received no announcement before the North Jakarta
administration ordered the flattening of our houses and
belongings," Moh. Suyuth, who led the delegation, said.

He said that the local administration should have pre-warned
them of its plan to demolish their houses.

The residents lived along the Opak riverbank, which the local
government has declared a non-residential area. Their houses were
demolished and their belongings destroyed by heavy equipment last
Thursday.

"We realize that we have no legal land ownership, yet we need
some preparation to leave the area," Suyuth said.

"They should have followed procedures, giving us three
warnings before flattening our houses," he added.

Asmawati, a mother of eight children claiming to have lived in
the area for 20 years, said she has no idea where to go after
losing her home.

"I need the compensation money very much, either for renting a
house or for returning to my hometown in Central Java," she
said.(imn)