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)