Mayor defends demolitions

Mayor defends demolitions

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta Mayor Sutardjianto has defended last week's demolition of shanties on the banks of the Angke River.

In his written report to the city governor, Sutardjianto said that the demolitions had been carried out properly.

Official demolition orders were sent to the residents, he said.

"The 500 houses in the Kembangan Utara subdistrict and the 400 others in Kedoya Utara were all illegal, as they stood on the riverbank," he said.

He said that his office would continue demolishing the remaining houses until Nov. 17.

Earlier this week, residents of the subdistricts lodged complaints with the city council, claiming that the mayoralty had never sent them a single warning or demolition order. (yns)