North Jakarta families protest against demolition

North Jakarta families protest against demolition

JAKARTA (JP): More than a hundred North Jakarta residents
whose houses were destroyed by security officers demonstrated at
the North Jakarta mayoralty office yesterday.

The residents, claiming to represent 484 families, complained
to Mayor Suprawito, who received them, that they were evicted
without prior talks about compensation.

"Aside from the compensation, the officers, many armed with
guns, arrived without advanced notice and immediately demolished
our houses," recalled Amir. S, one of the homeowners.

The protesters are mostly scavengers living in makeshift
structures on a 10-hectare site on Jl. Cilincing Cakung, East
Semper, North Jakarta. They claimed that the true owner of the
land, Haji Asmuni, had allowed them to occupy the land.

"We have been there since 1980 when it was still a swamp,"
said Amir, adding that now that they have reclaimed the land
other parties suddenly declared themselves to be the lawful
landowners.

Amir, who, like most of the protesters, wore threadbare shorts
and an old shirt but no footwear, not even thongs, claimed that
there must be something wrong with the land agency which issued
land certificates to different people.

Meanwhile, Yopie Sigar, the lawyer who is representing five
people who claim to be the lawful landowners, said that his
clients purchased the land from Haji Achmad bin Jamuri, who was
in possession of an authentic land ownership certificate.

Yopie's clients are members of the MKGR, an organization under
the Golkar ruling political grouping.

"We will rebuild the houses if Haji Asmuni is proven to be the
real owner of the land," Yopie assured.

Mayor Suprawito, who is responsible for the land appropriation
as recommended by the head of MKGR/Minister for Women's Roles,
Mien Sugandhi, asked the people whether they still wished to go
to court to prove Haji Asmuni's ownership of the land. He warned
them that if the court decided against them, they would not
receive any compensation.

"Or else you can accept compensation of Rp 50,000 per family
as offered by the new landowners," he told the protesters.

"We will go to court," the people shouted in unison in
response to his offer.

Losing end

Meanwhile Yopie told reporters that the protesters will be on
the losing end if they decide to bring the case to court since
the law will prove that his clients are the legitimate land
owners.

He added that his clients could increase the compensation
payment if the mayor asked them to do so.

However, he declined to reveal the payment ceiling.

"Moreover, as far as I can tell they only began to occupy the
land last year," he said.

He added that his clients will build a factory on the disputed
land, but declined to mention the type of factory.

Yopie said that his clients are Darsono, Nurhayin Aziz, Herman
Supriyanto, Tamin S and Hokiarto.

According to Yopie, the 484 buildings occupying the land
consist of 183 permanent houses, 271 makeshift structures and 30
others which were still under construction.

The protest yesterday resulted in the protesters signing an
agreement relinquishing their right to demand compensation should
they lose the case in court. The agreement also stipulates that
if they win, the five people who claim to be the new owners of
the land will rebuild their houses.

The signing of the agreement was ordered by Mayor Suprawito,
who argued that it would speed up the settlement of the dispute.
(05)