More eviction cases filed to administrative court

More eviction cases filed to administrative court

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Residents of Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta, filed a lawsuit on
Tuesday to the Jakarta State Administrative Court against an
eviction plan following previous lawsuits filed by evictees from
Tanjung Duren Selatan in West Jakarta and Muara Angke in North
Jakarta.

"As a representative of 111 families in Pinang Ranti, I demand
that the East Jakarta municipality administration annul its
eviction order as it was not made based on land deeds," said
lawyer Bartholomeus Diaz.

Residents received their second eviction notice on Dec. 18
from the administration. The notice states that the land belongs
to the Harapan Kita Foundation, which has permitted the Jakarta
Military Command (Kodam Jaya) to build a hospital on the 3.06
hectare plot of land.

"The foundation claims to own the land without producing a
land deed, but the residents have theirs," Diaz claimed.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) mediated
in a meeting between Kodam Jaya and the residents to find a
solution to the issue, but no agreement was reached.

Separately, residents of Cipinang Melayu, East Jakarta, filed
a lawsuit with the same court regarding the Indonesian Air
Force's plan to clear a 32-hectare plot of land bordering its
base.

"The first hearing of the trial should be this week," said one
of the residents, Aloysius Alo. "The land is in dispute, so no
action can be taken on the land, including evictions."

In the trial filed by Muara Angke residents, the accused --
Penjaringan district and the North Jakarta municipality -- read
out their defense statement, saying that they had followed the
governor's instructions on evictions.

The plaintiff said in last week's hearing that the evictions
were in violation of human rights and Article 3 of Law No.
51/1960 on restriction of land use without consent. The article
stipulates that only the Jakarta governor can issue eviction
orders.

The panel of judges adjourned the trial until Jan. 7.