Navy cuts power, water to retired officers' houses

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While still waiting for promised compensation for retired Naval officers and their families to leave a Navy housing complex in Jl. Farmasi, Central Jakarta, the residents on Tuesday have had their water and electricity supplies cut off.

Accompanied by two trucks of soldiers, workers from the city water company PAM Jaya and state power company PT PLN removed electricity and water meters from each of the 16 houses in the complex.

"They want us to get out, but we will stay even though we don't have power and water. We do not accept this kind of treatment ... How could PAM and PLN do whatever the Navy says?" said a resident, Yoyo Handoyono, adding that the residents have been living there for between 10 and 30 years.

Residents said that they were willing to leave the Navy housing complex, but they needed more time and also proper compensation.

The residents had met with Navy chief of staff Adm. Slamet Soedijanto on June 25 who agreed to consider giving them compensation and at least two more years to move out from their houses.

The residents were asking for compensation equivalent to the taxable value of land (NJOP) of the area, which stood at Rp 2.5 million (US$255) per square meter.

Each house occupies between 150 square meters and 160 square meters of land.

The Navy gave an ultimatum to residents in a letter dated July 25 that stated that all of them had to move out as soon as possible, and warned that power and water supplies would be cut on July 26.

The letter stated that an executive officer's club would be built in the area.

It is common practice for state institutions, including the military, to build housing complexes for their officers to live in.

Retired Army and Air Force officers and their families in housing complexes in the Kuningan and Pengadegan areas, both in South Jakarta, had also been moved out from their houses that will eventually be transformed into business premises.

There are two other Navy housing complexes for lower ranking soldiers and their families near the officer's houses.

"I heard that the Navy is working together with a well-known businessman to also work on these two complexes. We hope they can compensate us properly as we are willing to negotiate," another resident said.