Residents protest road access to Catholic school

Multa Fidrus and Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang/Jakarta

Although the road access to Sang Timur Catholic school in Karang Tengah, Tangerang regency, has again been blockaded by protesting local residents, students keep coming to school.

As their cars cannot reach the school, parents have to drop off their children on the main road and let them to walk to school.

"Our children have to walk at least 500 meters to reach the school as no cars can enter the school from Jl. Raden Saleh. They have to walk along a small path to get to the school," Hillon Goa, one of parents, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Most students, he said, do not mind walking that far but many of them have disabilities.

"The school has autistic students, who find it hard to reach the school. Their parents have to accompany them every day as they panic easily," Hillon said.

Several residents of Karang Tengah housing complex have blocked the 100-meter long and four-meter wide road which is still under construction since Sunday morning. The residents blocked the road that leads to the school by building zinc fences to separate it from the main road, Jl. Raden Saleh.

They also put a banner that reads: Local residents support the closure of the road access.

The residents were protesting the construction of the road, arguing that the school's management Karya Sang Timur Foundation had no right to be granted a permit from the administration to acquire land in the area and to construct its own road access.

"We were not informed about this at all ... The foundation claimed it had obtained approval from the Tangerang municipal administration," said Laman, head of community unit No. 13 in the housing complex.

The residents are refusing to remove the zinc fence until the administration provides an explanation.

The residents blockaded two roads to the school on Oct. 3 last year and built a concrete wall in front of the school's main gate, saying that they were disturbed by the presence of the cars taking up the road when the car owners attended religious services held at the school for the local Saint Bernadette parish.

The residents, backed by other religious groups, shifted their demands to the closure of the school, that has been in existence for 12 years, which they said had violated the use permit of the building as it was used as a place of worship.

The administration demolished the wall on Oct. 25, but locals continued to prevent cars from passing through the neighborhood to reach the school, forcing 2,417 students -- including 137 autistic and mentally disabled children -- to stay at home.

The parents' forum urged Mayor Wahidin Halim to take immediate measures to ensure that their children can study in peace.

The closure made headlines last year, attracting attention from many parties, including religious leaders, the National Commission on Human Rights as well as the National Commission for Child Protection.

Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid even visited the school and held an audience with the residents, but tension remains in the neighborhood.

Wahidin decided in November last year to assist the school's management to acquire land for road access, realizing that it would be difficult to persuade locals to sell part of their land for the purpose "because the case, which was related to the use of neighborhood streets has been linked with religious issues ... the residents have been provoked, and the problem has become more difficult to solve".