City still ignoring victims of forced evictions<\/p>\n
JP\/A.Nara Krisna<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: Lasimun, 51, stood before the remains of a slum on
\nthe banks of Penjaringan canal in North Jakarta, where he had
\nlived for the past 15 years before officers of the public order
\nagency burnt down his and hundreds of other squatters' houses in
\nthe area.<\/p>\n
Just like his neighbors, he and his family of four have no
\nchoice but to live in a temporary hut measuring 1.5 by 1.5 meters
\nwith no electricity or fresh water. Residents were forced to use
\nscraps to erect their new dwellings.<\/p>\n
Of the 15,000 people living in the area prior to the forced
\nevictions, around 1,500 remain, saying they have nothing left
\nfollowing the public order agency's operation. The others have
\neither returned to their hometowns or moved to other nearby
\nslums.<\/p>\n
As the new year approaches, they hope the city administration
\nwill address their problem. But there has been no indication yet
\nthat it will fulfill their demands for adequate compensation and
\nrelocation to more favorable sites.<\/p>\n
As a result of the poor conditions in the area, many residents
\nhave been suffering from skin diseases and children have been
\nunable to continue their schooling. Worse still, they are
\ncurrently also having to cope with flood tides and the bad
\nweather that has accompanied the rainy season.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 20, the administration signed an agreement with non-
\ngovernmental organizations and the National Commission for Human
\nRights (Komnas HAM) which visited the area over the weekend, to
\nhalt evictions for 100 days from the date of the signing.<\/p>\n
However, the administration has violated the agreement, saying
\nit needed to enforce the law and impose public order. Its actions
\nhave been widely criticized by the public as the administration
\nfailed to provide the victims with compensation and new
\nresidential sites.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-still-ignoring-victims-of-forced-evictions-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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