Wed, 05 Nov 2003

Walhi sets up shelter for evictees

JAKARTA: The Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi Jakarta) has set up four centers to distribute relief package to evicted squatters.

Walhi Jakarta said in a press release that the centers -- set up by the forum in collaboration with a number of non- governmental organizations, including Women's Solidarity, the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation and the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute -- will provide food, clothes and stationery to the evictees.

The centers are located in Cengkareng Timur, Tanjung Duren Selatan and Kampung Baru in West Jakarta, and Muara Angke in North Jakarta.

Those who want to make donations can contact Walhi Jakarta at Jl. Baung No.3 in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta, telephone/fax 7815174. Or you can email them at: jakarta@walhi.or.id.

About 22,000 people have been evicted from their homes over the last two months. -- JP

;JP;MARILIN; ANPAj..r.. Greater-theft-daylight One killed in daylight robbery JP/8/GREAT

One killed in daylight robbery

DEPOK: Armed robbers held up four civil servants from the National Land Agency (BPN) in Depok on Monday afternoon, killing one. The robbery took place at about 11 a.m. on Jl. Pramuka Pitara in Pancoran Mas district, Depok.

The four civil servants -- Safe'i, Zainudin, Suharno and Sugiono -- had withdrawn Rp 150 million (US$17,647) from the Bank BCA branch on Jl. Raya Bogor in Cimanggis, Depok, to pay the salaries of the civil servants in their office.

Police say that four robbers on two motorcycles followed the civil servants from the moment they left the bank in their car.

When they reached Jl. Pramuka Pitara, the four robbers pulled up alongside the vehicle and pointed their guns at Suharno, who was driving. The robbers fired several shots into the vehicle when Suharno attempted to flee, hitting Sugiono in the chest.

The robbers then grabbed the bag with the money from inside the car and fled.

Suharno drove to the Pancoran Mas Police station, about two kilometers from the scene of the robbery. Police took Sugiono to the Bakti Yudha Hospital, where he died an hour later from severe blood loss.

Pancoran Mas Police chief Adj. Comr. Antonius Sudjito said his officers were investigating the case. -- JP

;JP;SUFA; ANPAj..r.. Greater-Bogor-water 400 artesian wells are without permits JP/8/GREAT

400 artesian wells are without permits

BOGOR: About 400 of the 1,000 artesian wells in Bogor regency do not have proper permits, said the head of the regency's underground water division, Jhonny Alibasyah.

"It's about fairness. Water is supposed to be for the people's interest. A person or a company must apply for a license before drilling an artesian well," he said on Monday.

Jhonny said he had sent warning letters to companies and hotels in the districts of Cijeruk, Ciawi, Cisarua and Megamendung.

"These businesspeople did not respond. In fact, they set up a coalition to boycott the regency administration. They claimed that we had made it difficult for them to obtain the licenses," he said.

Jhonny said the companies and hotels were in violation of Bylaw No. 18/2000 on water as a natural resource.

He said if the administration did not control the use of underground water, it would lead to environmental damage in the future. -- JP