Activists condemn city administration
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Activists criticized on Tuesday the city administration's policy on the eviction of poor urban people, including those living along riverbanks here.
Tubagus H. Karbyanto, spokesman of the Antieviction Society Alliance, said the eviction policy showed that the administration had never regarded the poor as city residents.
The alliance comprises seven nongovernmental organizations: Jakarta Social Institute (ISJ), Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), the Voluntary Team for Humanity (TRUK), Jakarta Residents Forum (FAKTA), STOVIA UI, the Common Peoples' Welfare Foundation (YKRS) and Jakarta Social Youth (PSJ).
"The administration will never cope with the problems if it continues to demolish slums or crack down on becak (pedicabs) without providing a solution," he told The Jakarta Post after addressing a media conference on the eviction of poor people by the administration.
Tubagus said that before evicting people, the administration ought to discuss it beforehand with the people concerned.
It was hoped that the administration would also provide alternative places or jobs for them.
"It's not fair if they (the poor) are evicted just like that. What will happen to their families? How will they survive?" he asked, adding that eviction of the poor could lead to an increase in crime.
According to Tubagus, the administration had manipulated the city budget in evicting the poor.
Earlier reports said that the city administration had allocated about Rp 36 billion in funding for public order operations against pedicab drivers, street vendors, prostitutes and transvestites.
The city administration claimed that it had confiscated more than 11,000 becak during operations from August to October this year.
Since last month, the administration has demolished slums at riverbanks around the city in order to minimize the impact of flooding during the rainy season.
Thousands of people were left homeless, as their houses in East Ancol and Pejagalan in North Jakarta were demolished recently. The city administration refused to pay any compensation to the people as they were accused of illegally occupied the land.