Setia students to be relocated to Cibubur campsite, again

The city administration plans to relocate around a thousand students from Arastamar Theological College (Setia) to the Cibubur campsite this month.

City Secretary Muhayat said the campsite was the city's first choice of a solution while a transmigration subagency division in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, was the second choice.

"We still have to talk to the Cibubur campsite about the relocation. We also have to ask for a time extension [to stay in the former West Jakarta municipality office] from Sawerigading," he said.

He said the decision was taken during a meeting with institution leaders in the city.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Setia students staged a protest in front of the city hall in the afternoon, demanding a decent temporary place to stay while their school foundation built a new campus.

Over 900 students have been staying in the former West Jakarta municipality office without electricity and water since nearby buildings were evacuated in October.

Most of the students had previously stayed at the Cibubur campsite for a year.

Muhayat later told The Jakarta Post that he would ask his staff officer to lobby Sawerigading to allow the students to access electricity and water until they were relocated.

The Sawerigading Foundation won a land dispute against the city, forcing the Setia student to leave it.

The Setia students were driven from their campus and dormitories in Kampung Pulo in East Jakarta following a clash with local residents last year.

The residents reportedly refused to let the students occupy their campus.