Theology students have nowhere to go, again

Tue, 10/27/2009 12:51 PM  |  City

Arastamar Theological College (Setia) students looked on helplessly Monday as officers appointed by the Sawerigading Foundation and the West Jakarta District Court began tearing down a section of what had become their home.

The former West Jakarta municipality office building, where the students had been relocated after being kicked out of their East Jakarta campus last year, was at the center of a dispute between the municipality and the Sawerigading Foundation.

Setia rector Matheus Mangentang said that as of Monday afternoon, electricity and water had been cut off from the parts of the building occupied by the students.

Around 300 students had been staying at the building since last year. They were relocated from their old campus and dormitory in Kampung Pulo in East Jakarta following a clash with residents in July 2008.

After the clash, they camped from one place to another to study and live, as most of the students come from far outside the capital.

They first took shelter at the Cibubur campsite, then in a church in East Jakarta and later at the House of Representatives complex before finally moving to the former West Jakarta municipality office building.

Matheus said the students had hoped to stay at the office until the city had finished paying for their Kampung Pulo campus. But then the city lost the office in a dispute with Sawerigading at the West Jakarta District Court.

In 2006, the city appealed to the Supreme Court, but was turned down. The court ordered it to hand the land to Sawerigading and pay Rp 40 billion in 29 years' back rent.

Sawerigading also agreed to pay Rp 3.5 billion for the building office because the city had built it in 1970. City secretary Muhayat said all payments had been settled last week.

The case has now forced the Setia students to relocate once again, as the building is no longer city-owned.

Matheus said 400 students at Cibubur had also been evicted from the campsite. He said the students refused to stay at the old transmigration office in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, because the building was not suitable for habitation.

"It's very old and looks like it may collapse," he said. "We're still waiting for the money from the city for our old campus and land."

He added the money would be enough to buy land in Lippo Cikarang and build a campus. Kampung Pulo residents have reportedly refused to allow the students back.

-JP/Indah Setiawati

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