HUNDREDS OF BUILDINGS TORN DOWN The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 07/20/2007 11:28 AM |

Jakarta TANGERANG: The Tangerang Public Order Agency has torn down hundreds of buildings along Jl. Husein Sastranegara and Jl. AMD in Benda district, Tangerang, to make way for the planned expansion of Soekarno Hatta International Airport, an official said Thursday. A total of 290 buildings -- both permanent and semi-permanent structures -- were forcibly dismantled, agency head Ahmad Lutfi said, as quoted by Tempointeraktif. Ahmad said the agency had already notified building owners about the planned eviction and had given sufficient time for the owners to voluntarily leave the area. The Thursday eviction is our last resort. We have sent three warrants but the people ignored them, Ahmad said. Ahmad said the people were illegally squatting on land owned by the state and therefore there would be no compensation whatsoever given to the building owners. The eviction was jointly conducted by public order officials and personnel from Tangerang Police. Although angered and saddened by the eviction, residents said they had no idea what they would do next. To move out from here, we need money. How can we possibly leave without money, said food stall owner Wasdiah. Wasdiah said she had spent Rp 15 million (about US$1,685) to build her stall in 2003. A pro-bono lawyer, Muhammad Lutfi, representing the residents, said he would file a complaint with the Corruption Eradication Commission over allegations of graft in the Tangerang administration. Lutfi said Rp 4.5 billion of the Tangerang budget had been allocated for compensation and the airport operator PT Angkasa Pura had donated Rp 8 billion for the land clearing. - JP Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source URL: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/07/20/hundreds-buildings-torn-down.html

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