Residents set conditions for talks on land

Residents set conditions for talks on land

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of the Kebon Kosong and Gunung Sahari
sub-districts in Central Jakarta say they are willing to talk
with the Kemayoran Area Development Board in the ongoing land
compensation dispute but have laid down several conditions.

The spokesman for the residents, Rahardjo Darsoprayitno,
expressed satisfaction yesterday with efforts made to date by
members of the City Council's Commission A, which is responsible
for government affairs, to settle the dispute with the board. But
he sought the commission's assistance once again, asking it to
convey the residents' proposal to the board.

He said the residents were willing to hold talks with the
board on several conditions. One of the conditions was that the
board provide a written statement to the effect that it was
willing to enter into negotiations, Rahardjo said. The residents
also asked that the board invite independent mediators to take
part in the negotiations.

"We set the conditions because the residents do not want to be
disappointed again by the board, as has happened before,"
Rahardjo said.

He said there was always a possibility that the board would
not honor its promise to enter into discussions. "That would
merely indicate that the board has no power to make any decision
without the approval of its superiors."

Rahardjo cited a hearing with the House of Representatives in
December, 1991, in which Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said
that the board should hold negotiations with the residents. But
the negotiation ended in a deadlock simply because the board had
no power to make a decision, Rahardjo said.

"We don't want something like that to happen again," he said.

Last week, the Kemayoran Area Development Board told the
commission that it would hold discussions with residents of the
Kebon Kosong and Gunung Sahari sub-districts to settle the
dispute.

Hindro T. Soemardjan, one of the board's executives, said that
the talks would be held in order to set the rate of compensation.

The decision to a hold a meeting with the residents was made
in response to requests from councilors, who cited the fact that,
to date, the board has only held negotiations with chiefs of the
local districts and sub-districts.

Recently, about seven residents, who claimed to represent
about 5,000 others, filed a complaint with the City Council over
the compensation offered to them for their land. They demanded
that the board consult with the residents in setting the rate.

Rahardjo said that the residents' demand was not only that the
rate of compensation be increased, but also that their welfare be
improved.

"So, let's say our demand to get Rp 2.5 million per square-
meter is fulfilled, but the residents do not use the money
properly and they become poor again. That would indicate that the
current development process has yet to bring any benefits to the
people," he said.(yns)