JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of families remain living in and defending their war-zone-like neighborhood in Guntur sub- district, South Jakarta, amid escalating tension between the residents and the area's developer, PT Kuningan Persada.
In a bid to construct the 24-hectare Empire Tower on Jl. Rasuna Said, the developer has begun appropriating the plots, constructing the foundation, digging large entrenchments and piling up mounds around the houses.
"It's a primitive way of life in a metropolis like Jakarta," Atika Shahab said, referring to her tiny home inside the construction war zone.
According to Atika, the developer has offered the remaining families Rp 1 million per square meter as compensation for their land.
"It's a mere pittance. We cannot purchase new houses even in the suburbs with that tiny sum," Atika stated flatly.
An official of PT Kuningan Persada in charge of the land appropriation, Welfrid M., explained yesterday that the offer is the best the company can do.
"The district head had earlier fought for higher compensation and the one million figure is the result of his tireless struggle," said Welfrid, who steadfastly declined to reveal his family name.
According to Welfrid, only one percent of the 24-hectare-area being appropriated is still being occupied by its owners, who remain adamant in their demands for higher compensation.
That stance has reduced the Shahabs and the other six families in one of the two Guntur neighborhood communities affected by the project to a wretched existence. There are more families in the other neighborhood community, although no precise figures are available.
"This morning they cut the pipes of our clean water supply," said Tuti Husin, pointing at the muddy creek building in front of her house caused by water flowing from the broken pipes.
The mother of three daughters said that she is afraid small children in the neighborhood might drown in the one-meter deep entrenchment.
According to Tuti, the developer has created what resembles a war zone in the area in which empty houses were destroyed and surrounded by tall grass and high mounds to force the remaining residents to relinquish their plots.
Their siege tactics have proven effective. Several of the residents, including Superdi, have recently opted to leave.
"Last December I gave up the plots for Rp 850,000 per square meter and rented a small shop in Pasar Manggis market," recalled Superdi, the tailor of the area who owned a 25-square-meter kiosk.
Dozens of residents told The Jakarta Post yesterday that they also face security problems, lavatory and drainage disruptions, and electricity shortages, not to mention floods during the rainy season.
"The developer has demolished both our mosque and security posts. They also destroyed all the community systems we built," moaned Muslimin Panggabean, adding that thieves have frequently burglarized houses in the area.
Nevertheless, Welfrid said in a separate interview that the developer has never demolished buildings nor dug entrenchments on plots that did not belong to it, stressing that the developer will never sway from its stated goal of finishing the project.
"We'll move forward and it is better for the remaining residents to accept our offer rather then face forcible eviction by the local government," he advised. (09)