Hundreds might lose their houses

JAKARTA: Some four hundred families in the Pondok Kopi area, East Jakarta, will possibly lose their homes as the Mayor of East Jakarta has issued an order to demolish their village.

The village of Kampung Garapan had been developed in 1986 by the residents themselves, who had built makeshift houses and roads, according to Joni Marpaung, an activist from the Urban Poor Consortium.

"The mayor did not mention the reason for his order (to demolish the village)," Joni told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

Currently, the National Land Agency has yet to state its claim of the land as ownership has been claimed by various parties, including the residents, the East Jakarta Cemetery Office and the mayoralty.

"The mayor is arrogant. He has abused his authority to occupy the land even though the agency had yet to name the owner," he said, adding that the administration had demolished a fishing village in East Ancol, North Jakarta, earlier this month. --JP