Squatters complain about demolition plan
Squatters complain about demolition plan
JAKARTA (JP): Around 200 people registered a complaint with the House of Representatives yesterday about the city administration's plan to demolish their shanties along the Opak river bank in North Jakarta.
A 40-member delegation, claiming to represent 2,000 squatters, were received by Indonesian Democratic Party faction member Soetardjo Soeryoguritno.
The people told Soetardjo that they were not ready to leave the area because they had only received the order to leave on Thursday.
"The letter only gave us three days to move," Wahyudin, the squatters' spokesman, claimed. He said the city council had threatened to demolish their houses by force after the deadline expires.
Wahyudin said the authorities had not even consulted them before the threat. "All we received was a letter stating that we had violated a regulation," he said.
The sudden instruction, he said, put pressure on the squatters because they did not know where to go. "We have no money to move," he said.
Another delegate, Mamat, said that the squatters understand they don't deserve compensation because it is not their land.
Mamat added that the authorities should have consulted them about the policy because they have lived in the area for up to 20 years and have been provided with identity cards by the district office.
He said hundreds of squatters who lived along the nearby Ciliwung river banks received compensation from the city before being forced from the area.
Legislator Soetardjo told the delegates, who are mostly low paid workers and small traders, that the House will request the local city administration and the National Land Affairs Agency postpone the demolition until they consult with the squatters.
An official of the North Jakarta city administration contacted by The Jakarta Post yesterday said that his office had sent the people several warnings to leave.
"The last letter we sent to them was early this month," the official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said.
The letter, he said, contained evidence of the squatters violating city regulations on the environment.
The city administration then asked them to leave the area or have their homes destroyed.
The city administration announced earlier that it will gradually demolish all shanties along river banks as part of its river cleaning program.(03)