Pluit apartment tenants prepare to oppose eviction<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Hundreds of tenants at city-owned, low-cost rental apartments in
\nPluit, North Jakarta, waited anxiously on Wednesday afternoon for
\ntheir planned eviction by apartment operator PT Jakarta
\nPropertindo.<\/p>\n
They had gathered in front of their apartment buildings since
\nmorning, gearing up for the arrival of security guards and public
\norder officers who might arrive at any time.<\/p>\n
"We are ready to face them. We won't give up and shall fight
\nall the way because we have a legal basis to do so," said
\nSuhirman, the community chief.<\/p>\n
He produced a letter from the City Council and the National
\nCommission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asking the operator to
\ndelay the eviction until it had discussed the rent hike with the
\ntenants.<\/p>\n
The tenants went to the council and Komnas HAM on Tuesday to
\nseek legal protection following the operator's plan to evict them
\nif they refused to pay the planned rent hike of 72 percent.<\/p>\n
One of the tenants, Natal, said that he had evacuated his
\nfamily members to a safer place because he was worried that his
\neight-month-old baby would come to harm while the eviction was
\nbeing carried out.<\/p>\n
"We have been unable to go to work for several days because of
\nthis. We have also been living under stress for a year due to the
\nintimidation. I haven't been able to sleep well at night lately,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
At least 20 security guards and dozens of public order
\nofficers from the North Jakarta municipality patrolled the site,
\nstanding and gazing at the tenants without taking any action.<\/p>\n
"No order has come from our superiors to take action yet. We
\nare just keeping an eye on the tenants to prevent them from
\ndestroying the operator's property," said Tatang, one of the
\nguards.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon, the tenants started to march around the
\napartment buildings, demanding the operator turn the water supply
\nback on. A few months ago, PT Jakarta Propertindo removed the
\ncity water company meters and pipes that connected 50 apartment
\nunits to the water supply.<\/p>\n
"At least 50 families have been living without an adequate
\nwater supply for several months. They have to buy water at a cost
\nof Rp 35,000 (US$4.17) per day, but that is only enough for
\ndrinking. Some of them have babies, which boosts the demand for
\nwater," said another tenant, Alay.<\/p>\n
As there was no response to their demands, the residents
\nreinstalled the water pipes by themselves in order to gain access
\nto the water main.<\/p>\n
Lawyer David Sitorus, from the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human
\nRights Association (PBHI), said that the tenants did not object
\nto the rent hike outright but demanded a discussion on it before
\na final decision was made.<\/p>\n
The dispute started at the end of 2002 when the operator
\nannounced a 72 percent hike in rent at the apartment for 2003.
\nSome 480 families refused to pay the increase. Since then, the
\ncompany has frequently cut the tenants' water and electricity
\nsupplies.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pluit-apartment-tenants-prepare-to-oppose-eviction-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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