`Yellow jacket' students give food to Benhil homeless
JAKARTA (JP): Eighteen students of the prestigious University of Indonesia yesterday visited a disputed plot of land in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, to donate foodstuffs including rice, sugar, coffee, milk and instant noodles to homeless squatters there.
Eva Mazrieva, the chairman of the student body of the Socio- political Science School, said at the scene that the students had saved their small allowances for the squatters because they were deeply touched after reading media reports about their plight.
"We call on the public to lend a helping hand. The squatters are in dire need of food, medical facilities and tents," Eva said.
Dozens of squatters talked with the visiting students, telling them about a fire which razed the area in September and about when hundreds of security officers forcibly appropriated the area in the following weeks.
Sutaryo, a squatter living in the area, thanked the students, saying that they will continue to resist the forced land eviction and will seek every avenue to obtain appropriate compensation.
Discuss
Prior to the visit, the students also tried to discuss the problem with the powerful Armed Forces faction of the House of Representatives (DPR).
Public relations officials of the House, however, asked the students to set a date rather than abruptly come to the House demanding a meeting.
Anti-riot officers used tear gas and rattan sticks to expel the squatters from the state-owned 1.5-hectare housing area razed by a fire on Sept. 9.
The squatters, however, offered resistance by pelting stones, at the officers, making human barricades and burning down a bulldozer.
They demanded that the government pay a fair compensation rate of Rp 1 million per square meter (US$476) rather than the offered Rp 235,000 per square meter.
Government officials refused the proposal, saying they will build low-cost apartments on the site for the squatters to live in a better environment.
Eva said the students cannot tolerate such high-handed action taken by the city administration, adding that it is high time for the government to review its development policy which she claimed emphasized growth rather than distribution of wealth.
She said students of the University of Indonesia will work hand-in-hand to gather support for the homeless squatters.
Eva, who lives a few kilometers away from the disputed area, suggested the administration continue negotiating with the squatters.
Leaders of the squatters said on Tuesday that all of their detained neighbors had been released from a police detention center, adding that they are now preparing a law suit against the government. (09)