Land owners complain

JAKARTA (JP): Nine people, who claimed to be the owners of a 6,650-square-meter plot of land in Cilincing, North Jakarta, visited the National Commission on Human Rights on Monday to complain about the illegal appropriation of their land.

Mustopha, their spokesman, said that their land in Rorotan subdistrict was bulldozed in June, last year, by private warehousing company PT Cakung Remaja with the help of soldiers.

"The soldiers, who guarded the bulldozing of the land, are still supporting the company," Mustopha said.

He said they bought the land from the former owner, named Ma'ani, a resident of Kampung Kandang Sapi.

Before the confiscation, Ma'ani and her family members, who were in charge of guarding the land, were summoned to the local military district, he said, adding that they were asked to keep quiet about the bulldozing plan.

Mustopha said that even though the North Jakarta Mayoralty had confirmed that the land belonged to them, the firm still insisted on building a road and warehouse on the land, he said.

The residents once erected fences around the land but these were tore down by the firm, he said.

M.A Jalil, another protester, who claimed to own nearly half of the total plot, said that he planned to build school buildings on the land.

"But the plan was halted because the land has been appropriated by the firm," he said.

They demanded that Cakung Remaja return the land or pay compensation of Rp 350,000 (US$31.80) per square meter, he said. (jun)