Jakarta – Residents of Koja, an area on the northeast coast of Jakarta, are threatening to use force to take over land that was seized from them in 1995 by a state-owned company with close ties to former president Soeharto's eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti 'Tutut' Rukmana.
The land was "purchased" by PT Pelindo, the state company responsible for the management of the Tanjung Priok Harbor. Pelindo had the military come in to ensure the Koja residents departed, and then contracted one of Tutut's companies to construct a container terminal on the land.
Pelindo had promised to pay the locals Rp1.2 million (US$180) per square meter of land. Residents wanted more and rejected that offer, so the company then shafted them by paying out only Rp120,000 (US$18) per square meter.
Locals say the only people who received a reasonable amount of money for their land were the village head and "traitors" who coordinated the sale.
The threat to forcibly take over the land has alarmed staff at Tanjung Priok Port. Yesterday they called on the Koja residents not to take any action that could spark violence.
But the locals said that if Pelindo doesn't give them adequate compensation, they will seize the land and then sell it.
When the military came in 1995 to make sure the residents all left their village, locals were told the hackneyed line that was used as an excuse to give legitimacy to so many projects that displaced people – "this is in the national interest, so don't be selfish. Now get off your land".
The lousy payment for the land triggered years of demonstrations and rallies by the Koja people.
Imrom Rahman, head of the Tanjung Priok Port Labor Union, yesterday told reporters the compensation case is very complicated, because Pelindo considers the case closed, while Koja locals are determined to get a reasonable amount of money for their land.
He said locals cannot understand why a handful of people received a fair price for their land, while 400 families received virtually jack.
Tutut Rahman said the main reason why locals were driven off their land for a pittance was because the container terminal project was being handled by the powerful Tutut.
He said it's difficult to ask Tutut to pay them more compensation, because the project has been completed and the port is now being controlled by Pelindo.
Furthermore, Tutut has a bigger problem with the Sultan of Brunei, Hasanal Bolkiah, over a controversial road construction in Brunei, he added.
The Koja residents recently filed a lawsuit against Pelindo at the North Jakarta District Court. The board of directors of PT Pelindo II promised the people that if they will win the case, the company will pay them.
But it could take the dubious Indonesian justice system years to reach a verdict. A lawyer at Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation said the case will spend more than one year at the low court, then it will be appealed at a higher court by the unsatisfied party, and finally be reviewed again at Supreme Court.
The whole process could take place for up to 10 years, and by the time a final verdict is issued, the Koja people will be exhausted, said the lawyer.