Residents demand their land back

JAKARTA (JP): About 100 residents of Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta and Kedoya Utara in West Jakarta rallied in front of City Hall on Thursday afternoon to demand adequate land compensation from the administration.

Protesters claimed they received no compensation for their land, which they said was forcibly acquired in 1985 and 1995 on the pretext it was needed for city projects.

The group demanded commensurate compensation or the return of their land forthwith.

Grouped in the People's Struggle Forum, they arrived at about 11:30 a.m. at City Hall in Central Jakarta, accompanied by several students from Universitas 17 Agustus 1945.

Under heavy guard of Central Jakarta Police officers, the protesters crossed Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan to enter the City Hall compound.

Darwis Perimbing, spokesman for 670 Kedoya Utara families, said their homes were razed by city administration order in 1995.

He said no compensation of any kind was paid to the residents. Now homeless, they have been forced to live with relatives or friends.

Others, he added, were left with no choice but to leave the city.

"The administration initially said the land was to be used for a river-cleaning program and promised that each household would soon receive Rp 100,000 per square meter of their land," Darwis said.

"But the land has so far been left untouched and none of us has seen the promised Rp 100,000. The price of land in Kedoya Utara is already between Rp 250,000 and Rp 500,000 per square meter."

Rojaih from Kembangan said that her family was unable to afford a home of their own following the eviction from Kedoya Utara.

"I have three kids and my husband is a low-ranking civil servant. We've been living in a relative's house since we lost our home in 1995," she said

"We can't pay rent."

Maria, who claimed to represent 217 Tanjung Priok residents, said the administration from 1985 to 1987 forcibly took over their residences but did not pay compensation.

City officials at the time claimed the land would be used as the site of the Jakarta Fairgrounds, Maria said.

"But it was built in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

"We have official documents showing that the Tanjung Priok land has belonged to our grandfathers since 1947," Maria said.

"We don't want anything else. We want our land back."

Maria and Darwis said they brought their grievances "several times" to city officials, but there was no follow-up.

"Even city councilors are not doing anything to help us," they complained. (ylt)