Riverbank squatters complain

Riverbank squatters complain

JAKARTA (JP): Twenty eight Opak riverbank squatters, claiming to represent hundreds of others, in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, sought help from the National Commission on Human Rights yesterday over the sudden demolition of their shanties.

The people, mostly fish sellers, claimed law and order officials bulldozed their houses arbitrarily.

"They didn't give us time to find another place to move to and destroyed our houses within minutes," Piye, one of the protesters said.

They said most of them had lived in the area for about 20 years. They could understand that they had been squatting on state property "but the buildings are ours, so we deserve compensation."

They did not mention the amount of compensation they wanted.

Meanwhile, the Penjaringan village-head Abu Subagyo said on Tuesday that local authorities had told the squatters to quit the area on March 20. "But they wanted a postponement until April 1," Subagyo said.

Commission member Rukmini Koesoema Astoeti told the people yesterday that she would send letters to the North Jakarta mayor and related offices to settle the problem.

The mayoralty has announced its plan to develop sites along the Opak river into a shopping center and office buildings. The development is aimed at enlivening the area which was the center of Jakarta during the 17th century.

At least 170 families have been evicted from the riverbank in the area. (03)