Evictees told it's time to vacate Komnas premises<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After living behind the office of the National Commission on
\nHuman Rights (Komnas HAM) on Jl. Latuharhari in Central Jakarta
\nfor 10 months, hundreds of people who were forcibly evicted from
\ntheir homes were told on Wednesday to clear the area.<\/p>\n
\"We asked Komnas HAM to give us another day to find some
\nrented rooms,\" said Mama, 40, whose house in Cengkareng Timur,
\nWest Jakarta, was demolished by public order officers last
\nSeptember.<\/p>\n
About 300 people from Cengkareng Timur and Tanjung Duren moved
\ninto the yard of the Komnas HAM office about 10 months ago, when
\ntheir homes were demolished during evictions ordered by the city
\nadministration. The families crowded into whatever empty spots
\nthey could find behind the Komnas building.<\/p>\n
Currently, only 29 families are remaining in the compound.<\/p>\n
Mama said Komnas HAM officials had promised to give each of
\nthe families Rp 2.5 million (US$277.80) to help them settle in a
\nnew location.<\/p>\n
\"Some of us have rented rooms in Cengkareng for Rp 350,000 a
\nmonth,\" said Yati, another evictee from Cengkareng. \"We are
\ntrying to move back to Cengkareng because that is where we used
\nto live.\"<\/p>\n
Yati said her main purpose in remaining at the Komnas HAM
\noffice was to put pressure on the rights commission to complete
\nits investigation into violence that occurred during the
\nevictions.<\/p>\n
\"We took the money because we badly needed it, not because we
\nexpected them to give it to us. Since we have been living here,
\nwe have earned money by working as street singers.\"<\/p>\n
She complained that the rights commission had not done enough
\nto help the evictees.<\/p>\n
An official with the rights commission, Taheri Noor, who was a
\nmember of the mediation team for eviction affairs, said his team
\nhad done its job.<\/p>\n
\"We arranged meetings between the victims, the city
\nadministration and all related parties,\" he said. \"We also took
\ncare of the victims' needs, providing health facilities, food for
\nseveral weeks and temporary shelter.\"<\/p>\n
\"However, Komnas officials also have the right to work in
\nproper conditions. Frankly, we feel annoyed by their presence
\nhere,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Taheri said Komnas HAM had raised money from individuals and
\ninstitutions to help the victims begin a new life.<\/p>\n
\"We hope Rp 2.5 million is enough for each family,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As for the investigation into violence during the evictions,
\nTaheri said it had been completed by another team at the
\ncommission.<\/p>\n
The victims earlier said Komnas HAM had questioned only 10
\nwitnesses about the alleged violence.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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