Koja homes won't face arbitrary demolition

Koja homes won't face arbitrary demolition

JAKARTA (JP): City Military Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Sutiyoso
guaranteed yesterday that arbitrary demolition of houses in Koja
Utara, North Jakarta, will not happen.

"I assure that the residents can stay there securely until the
compensation problem is settled," Sutiyoso told reporters.

He explained that adding that City Military Command is now
functioning as a mediator between area residents and PT Pelindo
II.

PT Pelindo II is the state company which legally owns the
disputed land in Koja Utara. The company plans to build a cargo
terminal there.

On Saturday security officers demolished makeshift guard
stations built by residents to monitor vehicles and people
entering the neighborhood. The military said that the residents
had tried to disturb the cargo terminal project by building the
guard stations.

Sutiyoso renewed City Military Commander Maj. Gen. Wiranto's
request to the residents not to disturb the construction of the
cargo terminal in the area because PT Pelindo has the right to
develop the project on its own land.

PT Pelindo is constructing a cargo terminal on 90 hectares of
land in Koja Utara. More than 1,000 of the families living on
that land are refusing to move from the site until they get a
higher amount of compensation.

Compensation

The authorities have offered between Rp 100,000 and Rp 160,000
per square meter, but the residents are demanding Rp 2,275,000
per square meter.

The City Military Command has tried to end the dispute through
negotiations between the residents and PT Pelindo, as well as
with the North Jakarta mayoralty.

Last week, before the demolition of the residents' guard
stations, Wiranto told residents that PT Pelindo agreed to
provide the additional money they needed to transport their
belongings to the new houses. The residents, who plan to rent
houses, will be given one year's rent money by the company, and
down payments have been waived for those who are applying for
low-cost apartments.

The authorities initially prohibited the local media from
reporting the demolition of the guard stations.

A military source told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the
prohibition was aimed at avoiding possible negative impacts the
publication of the action. "We just want to settle the dispute,
and not to repress the media," he said.

The source also confirmed that police officers arrested two
residents, identified as Saman and Martin in Saturday's
demolition. The two are accused of influencing other residents to
turn down the compensation offered and to sabotage the cargo
terminal project.

Meanwhile, 315 residents, who are also PT Pelindo workers,
agreed to accept the compensation offered by the company. But
they have not yet moved from the area.

Mahdi, a resident, said that he had accepted compensation in
February, but he still lives in the area. "I will move after
taking the transportation money and the house rent," he stated.

Ono Suryono, head of the All Indonesian Workers Union branch
at PT Pelindo said that the company is constructing low-cost
apartments for 1,000 families in Cilincing, North Jakarta, which
are to be allocated for residents of Koja Utara. (29)