Navy cuts power, water to retired officers' houses

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.