Squatters say offer is not enough to compensate them for homes
Evi Mariani The Jakarta Post Jakarta
Squatters facing eviction from their homes on Jl. Tanah Merah, North Jakarta, and Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta, have turned down compensation money offered by land owners, demanding a higher figure.
"We realize that we don't own the land and we don't mind leaving it, as long as the compensation money is adequate. Just don't give us meager compensation, as the city administration has done," said Rico Siahaan, one of those living on Jl. Tanah Merah, near Plumpang fuel depot, on land owned by state oil company PT Pertamina.
Compensation paid by land owners or the administration has usually ranged between Rp 250,000 (US$29.4) and Rp 500,000.
Rico and his wife, Tio, said they did not want the administration or Pertamina to relocate them to a low-cost rental apartment.
"Just give us enough compensation and we will leave, perhaps to our hometowns or to the outskirts (of the city)," said Rico during a meeting with related institutions at the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) office in Central Jakarta.
Pertamina has offered to allocate 13 hectares of land in the area for around 2,400 families who are facing eviction. It has been proposed that low-cost housing be financed by the Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure through its 2004 One Million Houses program.
"Pertamina still needs to get approval from the board of commissioners," said Solahuddin Wahid, deputy chairman of Komnas HAM, who mediated the meeting. "I'm very happy with the offer. It's the best for all."
"The ministry has also promised to find a way to finance the construction (of houses)."
Pertamina plans to clear land near its fuel depot to secure fuel supply in the capital. The company will build a canal marking the boundary between the fuel depot and the residential area.
An ojek driver in Tanah Merah, however, said that some squatters were even erecting houses on Pertamina's land to reap the generous compensation money that it was rumored Pertamina would hand out after the evictions.
"Rumors say that Pertamina has offered Rp 1 million per square-meter for compensation," he said. "(But) imagine if this is not true they (squatters) could die of heart attacks as they borrowed money to build their houses".
Another hearing at Komnas HAM was attended by representatives of squatters living in Pinang Ranti, on land owned by the Jakarta Military District Command (Kodam Jaya).
Kodam Jaya has ordered people living on the 3.6 hectare area of land to leave, offering each family Rp 3 million.
Solahuddin said that 29 of the 77 families had agreed to the offer, but others demanded double-the-figure.
As no agreement was reached at the meeting, Komnas HAM has arranged another meeting for next week.