Sutiyoso's supporters chase away flood victims<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Wielding sticks and swords, hundreds of supporters of City
\nGovernor Sutiyoso threatened and chased away dozens of flood
\nvictims who staged a protest in front of City Hall on Jl. Medan
\nMerdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The protesters, who were organized by the non-governmental
\norganization, Urban Poor Consortium, arrived in a bus and a
\npickup truck at the scene at about 10 a.m., unfurling a one-
\nkilometer-long banner along the road's berm.<\/p>\n
Fifteen minutes later, Sutiyoso's supporters, grouped under
\nthe United Betawi Forum (FBR), arrived on dozens of motorcycles
\nand cars and grabbed the banner, which was marked with hundreds
\nof signatures.<\/p>\n
The governor's supporters asked the protesters to leave the
\nscene and one of them pointed a sword at UPC's chairwoman, Wardah
\nHafids, and then beat up one of Wardah's friends, who had tried
\nto protect her.<\/p>\n
Wardah told reporters that her supporters were, "protesting
\nthe way the governor uses the Betawi people to attack us".<\/p>\n
A comical incident occurred when Wardah received a written
\nstatement from one of FBR's member.<\/p>\n
It stated that the forum was ready to attack Wardah and her
\nfriends for causing chaos and using poverty for its own
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
"They gave me the statement. They did not recognize me,"
\nWardah quipped.<\/p>\n
The FBR also supported Governor Sutiyoso's policy in handling
\nfloods in the city.<\/p>\n
Wearing black clothes and hats, Sutiyoso's supporters
\ncontinued their rally to the nearby City Council building on Jl.
\nKebon Sirih.<\/p>\n
City Council chairman Edy Waluyo, who was presiding an
\ninternal meeting with council leaders on the building's second
\nfloor, was shocked when FBR members knocked on the door. He asked
\nthem to leave immediately.<\/p>\n
Edy finally met supporters in the council's lobby to receive
\ntheir demands, which included a demand for the administration to
\nprovide them with jobs.<\/p>\n
One of the supporters admitted that he was promised Rp 50,000
\nto join the rally.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The rally held by flood victims at City Hall also announced
\nthat they would file a suit at Central Jakarta District against
\nthe government.<\/p>\n
Fourteen representatives of the flood victims, demanded the
\nPresident, City Governor and West Java Governor pay compensation
\nof more than Rp 2.7 billion.<\/p>\n
Plaintiffs said the government had failed to give prior
\nwarning, causing damage and losses to residents during the
\nfloods.<\/p>\n
They were represented by 32 lawyers, mostly from the Jakarta
\nLegal Aid Institute (LBH).<\/p>\n
The plaintiffs said that more than 97,300 families or 365,000
\npeople had to leave their house and find a temporary shelter due
\nto the huge floods that hit the city from the end of January to
\nearly in February.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sutiyosos-supporters-chase-away-flood-victims-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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