Taman Sari residents protest road blockade
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)