Zaky Pawas & Arientha Primanita – Dozens of demonstrators on Sunday continued their protest over plans to build a block of apartments in Rawasari, Central Jakarta, with at least two of the female demonstrators sewing their lips closed in protest.

Local resident Seno Budiarto said four women had been on a hunger strike since Saturday and two of them – 45-year-old Eet and 53-year-old Lusi – had sewn their lips together early on Sunday morning.

"We were duped by the city administration," Seno told reporters. "We were kicked off this land in 2008 because the administration said the land would be turned into green space. The administration even planted trees ceremonially.

"Two years later, they uprooted the trees, and now they are building these apartments," he said. "We have been lied to. So many of us now have no homes and are just renting places, here and there. The city won't speak with us. What are we to do?"

Separately, Jakarta government spokesman Cucu Ahmad Kurnia said it was not true that the city was going back on its promise to create a green space on the plot.

"The apartment is not taking up any of the area allocated for green space. The development of the apartment is in accordance with legal procedures," Cucu said.

"As far as the protesters are concerned, such actions are unnecessary. They are only hurting themselves. That land is being converted into green space and for construction of apartments for the sake of the city's programs and public interest."

The city has said it is working on efforts to increase the amount of green space. Its target for the end of 2010 was 13.9 percent of its total land area. The current amount of green space is 9.6 percent.