Tebet fire victims may compromise with government
Tebet fire victims may compromise with government
JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of the West Tebet fire victims
said yesterday they are not in principle opposed to the city
administration plan to build an apartment building on the fire
site, but want the city to compromise.
The area residents initially turned down the apartment plan.
A nine-man delegation, led by Tumar, chief of the neighborhood
destroyed in the fire, gave city councilors from Commission A on
agrarian affairs three ways to end the deadlock.
Yesterday's meeting was chaired by Suwarno Murjo from ABRI
(Armed Forces).
The ideal option for the residents would be to rebuild their
houses on the site.
The second would be for the municipality to build the
apartments for and interested residents, while the rest would be
compensated for their land.
"If the mayoralty insists on building the low-cost apartment
for the fire victims, we proposed that the city administration
build some temporary marketplace elsewhere in the same
neighborhood where we can still run our business pending the
completion of the development of the apartment," said Tumar.
Most of the 230 families who had their houses burned by the
May 11 fire were reportedly traders.
In addition, Tumar proposed that units at the apartment
building be enlarged to 27 square meters each instead of 18
square meters as originally proposed by the municipal
administration. The original size, he said, is more fitted to "a
family of three children".
He also said the amount of compensation they deserve should be
taken into account by the city administration in determining the
cost they pay for each unit.
"If our compensation later turns outs to be more than the
price of each unit, we should get the remainder of the money,"
said Tumar.
According to a 1975 regulation of the Home Affairs Ministry,
squatters living on state land deserve 25 percent of the lands
value, said Sutarno, chairman of Commission A.
The delegation said the actual land price in the area is Rp 2
million (US$931.5) per square meter, while the property assessor
has place its value at less than 1.5 million ($698.6) per square
meter.
"I really appreciate the goodwill on the part of the residents
to support the program of the municipal administration plan. I
think they deserve some compensation," said Romulus Sihombing, a
member of commission A from the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI).
Romulus refused to specify the amount of compensation, hinting
it "somewhere around the figure stated in the property tax".
Talks
Tumar said the fire victims had failed to outline their
proposals to city officials in any meeting held before because
the officials preferred to brief them on the apartment plan.
"We are truly now intending to resume talks with city leaders
about the issue," said Tumar.
Though the South Jakarta mayoralty officials insisted they had
several meetings with residents in the wake of the fire, Romulus
said that Tuesday's violent clash between the fire victims and
security officers indicated a lack of communication.
"There are many examples showing that the area residents are
willing to accept the program of the municipal administration if
it adopts persuasive measures. Why should we use bulldozers and
tear gas? It's not suitable for the residents as well as the
authorities. It smeared the government's image," Romulus told The
Jakarta Post.
In a related development, Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, spokesman for
the city police, denounced the allegation that the officers had
trampled the residents during the Tuesday's clash.
"Instead, it was the officers who were fiercely attacked," he
said.
The residents told the Post yesterday that thus far there have
been no reprisals for Tuesday's violent clash.
"Everything is okay, but we are always watchful," said
Darunomo, a senior resident. (jsk)