Squatters refuse to vacate land

Squatters refuse to vacate land

JAKARTA: Some 100 people, who had occupied land owned by state
housing company Perum Perumnas in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta,
refused to leave their homes because they had paid local
officials to allow them to stay.

Spokesman of the squatters Isrullah Mufti said at the City
Council on Monday that they had paid city police officers, plus
officials from subdistrict office and related agencies, Rp 4
million (US$488) to Rp 10 million to remain on the land.

"We don't have receipts because they didn't want to give us
any. If the council wants us to identify the officials, we'll do
so," he said.

The people occupied part of the 35,470 square meter (sq m)
site in Kebon Kosong subdistrict, Kemayoran. They had used the
land to build semi-permanent shops. Each person occupied some 30
sq m to 100 sq m of land.

Isrullah said that the officials had offered them the land for
purchase, although they knew that it was illegal. The reason the
people gave them money was that they wanted to do business there.

City public order officers demolished their property on June
25, a day after the Jakarta Administrative Court issued a decree
to delay the demolition.

Central Jakarta Mayor Petra Lumbun said that he received the
written decree at 4:30 p.m. on the day after demolition had been
completed. -- JP