Adianto Simamora, Jakarta – Despite an ongoing land dispute and mounting protests from area residents, public order officers began demolishing the historic Menteng Stadium in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.
The stadium is also the base of city soccer club Persija, and is commonly referred to as Persija Park.
As some 1,200 officers began tearing down the property and nearby cafes, Persija lawyer Victor Sitanggang told angry club supporters that the land ownership dispute was still being processed by the Central Jakarta District Court. "The demolition is illegal because the court has yet to issue any decision on the land's status," Victor said.
Three bulldozers, an excavator and seven trucks were involved in the demolition, which started at 7 a.m. Persija club members protesting outside the stadium demanded to the see public order officers' demolition warrant.
"One of the officials hit me with a stick," said Miftah, a member of Persija's student soccer team. An hour later the warrant, issued by the public order agency, was delivered to the Persija supporters.
Victor said he would take the letter, which ordered the demolition of Menteng Stadium and was signed by Central Jakarta's mayor, Muhayat, to the police as proof that the city administration was ignoring the ongoing legal process.
Separately, city administration law bureau head Jornal Siahaan said the demolition was legal. "The Central Jakarta district court has not ordered the city administration to withhold any actions in connection with the legal process," he said.
Siahaan said that as long as the court did not issue any orders, the city administration would go ahead with its plan. The city intends to replace the stadium with a new multi-sport facility and green area, along with a five-story carpark. Persija is to move its headquarters to the Voetbalbond Indische Jakarta (VIJ) Stadium in Roxy, Central Jakarta, while its matches are to be held at Lebak Bulus Stadium in South Jakarta.
According to a gubernatorial decree on heritage conservation, Menteng Stadium is a designated historical site. It was originally the Voetbalbond Indische Omstreken (Indies Football Association) ground. Victor said that Indonesia's first president, Soekarno, gave the stadium to Persija in the 1960s to replace the Ikada Stadium, which was demolished to make way for the National Monument (Monas).
The fight between the city administration and Persija officials over the stadium began in February this year. Persija brought to court their concerns over the legality of three certificates the city administration had obtained in 2001 for the 35,458 square meters of land on which the stadium stands.
Victor said that the city administration's action also contravened the 2005 Law on Sports, which states that any plans to build or shift the function of a sports venue needs the approval of the state minister for youth and sports affairs.
Jornal said the city administration had sent a letter to minister Adyaksa Dault to notify him of the plan, but was yet to receive a response.
Meanwhile, a meeting between Menteng residents and the city's environmental management body to discuss the potential environmental impact of the planned redevelopment was interrupted by news of the demolition.
"Of course, it's shocking," said body official Febri Prasetyadi. "I don't know whether or not it is connected with the planned renovation of the Menteng soccer fields." He said the frustrated residents were depending on the environmental body to force the city to drop its development plans for the area.
The body's head of environmental impact affairs, Ridwan Panjaitan, said his unit's recommendation should be used as a basis for continuing or dropping the plans for Persija Park.
"We have gathered input from several parties, including people living near the project. But we can't simply rely on the claims of certain parties. We have to see it from the broad view of public need," he said.