200 evicted fishermen visit rights body

200 evicted fishermen visit rights body

JAKARTA (JP): Representatives from 200 fishing families who
are being forced out of their homes in East Ancol, North Jakarta,
brought their case to the National Commission on Human Rights on
Friday to seek support for their battle against the mayoralty.

The fishermen's spokesman Tohir said they had been pushed out
of the area due to a planned development of water sports
facilities.

"We are being forced to leave an area which we've been living
in for many years, because all of a sudden it's being used as a
facility for rich people," Tohir said.

He said the fishermen refused the mayoralty's offer to
relocate them to the Marunda area, also in North Jakarta, along
with compensation of between Rp 3 million (US$303) and 5 million
each.

He said in the new area, the fishermen could no longer fish
and would lose their traditional occupation.

The fishermen and their families have been forcibly evicted
three times -- in 1985, 1988 and 1992 -- but have, on each
occasion, promptly returned to the area which they have occupied
since 1958, he said.

In a bid to force the fishermen to accept the relocation, the
Ancol subdistrict office has now refused to issue the fishermen
and their families with identification cards.

The subdistrict has also forbidden the fishermen to unite
themselves in an official neighborhood community like other
communities.

Without identification cards the fishermen are technically
considered "illegal residents" and are thus not expected to have
access to public utilities such as electricity, telephone and
clean water. (jun/01)