Bojong Koneng Residents Report Sentul City to Komnas HAM over Eviction

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of advocates for the coalition of Bojong Koneng residents visited the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to report property developer PT Sentul City over forcible eviction which was considered a violation of human rights.

“We make a report and ask for protection from Komnas HAM regarding citizen’s human rights that every citizen has the land and property rights, as well as welfare,” said Alghiffari Aqsa, one of the lawyers when met at the Komnas HAM office.

He came with 20 representatives of about 6,000 Bojong Koneng residents, Babakan Madang of Bogor Regency, who were affected by the eviction. They also reported alleged violence experienced by the residents and lawyers. 

Alghiffari and the representatives of residents brought pieces of evidence in the form of photos and videos of the violence, as well as documents regarding the alleged land seizing by Sentul City. He said they had made a police report but there has been no follow-up until date.

PT Sentul City evicted residents of Bojong Koneng from their homes as it claimed ownership of the lands resided by residents for decades. The firm’s lawyer Faisal Farhan said 69 of 105 building owners had acknowledged that the land belongs to PT Sentul City and made a lease agreement.

Faisal said 23 building owners demanded more time for demolition and seven buildings had been demolished. “The remaining six insist on claiming their lands and fight back,” Farhan told Tempo on Tuesday, September 21.

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ADAM PRIREZA | M.A MURTHADO