Locals oppose eviction plan

JAKARTA: Some 30 people representing 27 families living in Pondok Melati, Bekasi, rallied on Friday at the office of the National Commission on Human Rights to ask for help in fighting government plans to evict them from their homes.

"We built the land from nothing and worked on it for 20 years. They cannot move us out just like that," said a resident, Ita, who has lived in the area for more than 10 years.

The community, represented by the Jakarta Legal Aid Agency, occupies 6,000 square meters of land that was formerly a swamp. The district administration now wants to construct an office building on the state-owned land.

"They have worked on the land since 1982. According to the Agrarian Law, they have the right to propose a claim on the land," said legal adviser Nurkholis.

Nurkholis said the Pondok Melati district office wanted to evict the residents from the area, offering them compensation of just Rp 250,000 per house (ranging from 20 square meters to 60 square meters).

According to property values, a square meter of land in the area is now worth about Rp 500,000.

The Bekasi administration has sent a notification letter to the residents, telling them to vacate their houses by Aug. 21 or be forcibly removed.

Hasto Harjono, an official with the National Commission on Human Rights, met with the residents and promised his office would look into the matter. -- JP