Taman Sari residents protest road blockade

JAKARTA (JP): Nine representatives of residents of the Maphar subdistrict of Taman Sari, West Jakarta, went to the City Council yesterday to protest against the closure of a road in their area.

Jamaludin Lubis, one of the representatives, told council members that the road, which runs between Jl. Alfa Buntu and Jl. Taman Sari III, had been closed off since last July. He said the road had been closed by a policewoman, identified as Herlina Sitompul, who claims the road as part of her property.

The road, which is 25 meters in length, used to be open to the public, Jamaludin said, adding that the road had earlier been closed by the policewoman in 1989, but had been reopened immediately after strong protests from residents.

Jamaludin said that the closure meant that residents had to go further when they went shopping, traveled to work, or went to the mosque.

He said there had been a number of physical clashes between residents and Herlina's "hired people," following a series of protests by the residents.

He said that the residents had been intimidated by several people in military dress.

The residents have been forced to pay Rp 500,000 (US$220) for the cost for a meeting held to discuss the conflict between the two sides, he said, adding that residents have also been ordered to pay Rp 2 million in compensation for the loss of a wall destroyed during the protests. The wall destroyed was the one closing the road.

A protest has also been lodged by the Moslem community of the Baiturrohman Mosque. In a written statement, 50 members of the religious community urged Taman Sari district officials and the West Jakarta mayoralty to reopen the road.

Fatommy Asaari, the deputy chairman of the council's Commission A, in charge of administration, security and public order, expressed concern over the failure of local officials to take firm action in the matter.

"The problem is really simple, if only the Maphar subdistrict chief, the Taman Sari district chief and the West Jakarta mayor acted strictly against the policewoman," he said.

The commission promised to ask the local authorities to reopen the road. (32)