Central govt urged to mediate in 'becak' case
Central govt urged to mediate in 'becak' case
JAKARTA (JP): The Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) has urged the
central government to intervene in its escalating conflict with
the city administration over the fate of the three-wheeled
pedicabs locally known as becak.
UPC coordinator Wardah Hafidz met briefly with Coordinating
Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla at the latter's office
here on Friday, demanding that he act as a mediator.
The dispute, which has already claimed casualties, has reached
a deadlock, Wardah told reporters after the meeting.
"This issue concerns the people's welfare, job opportunities,
and violence. The central government cannot turn a blind eye to
it," she said.
She criticized President Megawati Soekarnoputri for her
indifference to the conflict, saying that the urban poor helped
pave the way for her ascent to the presidency last month.
"She can't remain silent on this matter. This is about the
life of hundreds of thousands of poor Jakartans," Wardah said.
Wardah was accompanied by some 30 people, including becak
drivers, vendors, scavengers and a number of other disadvantaged
people.
The Jakarta administration last week declared war on becak
after a civilian guard was mobbed to death by angry becak
drivers, who were resisting a crackdown on the vehicles.
Becak were formally phased out from the streets of the capital
in 1988. But they made a comeback 10 years later during the peak
of the economic crisis in 1998 after Governor Sutiyoso relaxed
the city regulation on pedicabs.
He reimposed the ban a day later but the becak problem has
since haunted the administration and escalated with the violent
death of the civilian guard last week.
Jusuf, who had earlier promised to hold a dialog with UPC
representatives, cut short the meeting with Wardah to about five
minutes saying that he had to travel to Bandung.
The meeting, however, was enough for Wardah to present a
written statement on UPC's position on becak.
Jusuf's secretary Sutejo Yuwono said another meeting had been
scheduled for Thursday.
In the statement, UPC asked Jusuf to order the Jakarta
administration to stop the crackdown against becak.
The statement was endorsed by 36 NGOs and activists, including
Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), the Indonesian Consumers
Foundation (YLKI), Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta),
Indonesian Women's Coalition, Jakarta Becak Union (Sebaja), and
the Indonesian Women's Union.
Calling the crackdown on becak a criminal act against the
people, the UPC said Sutiyoso should be tried and punished.
The funds used to finance the crackdown, which UPC estimated
at Rp 102 billion (US$11.3 million), would have been better spent
on finding ways to improve Jakarta's transportation system and
assisting small businesses, it said.
Separately, Sutiyoso rejected any dialog with NGOs over the
future of pedicabs in the city.
"If I should have a dialog with becak drivers, its okay. But
not with any non-governmental organization," he said.
He said the dialog should not be about how the pedicabs could
operate in the city, but about how to send home the drivers, who
are mostly come from outside Jakarta, or to create new jobs for
them.
An official from the city public order office, who asked not
to be named, accused the NGOs, particularly the UPC, of taking
advantage of poor people, especially pedicab drivers, to get
foreign aid.
Meanwhile, the so-called Foundation for the Saving of Becak
Drivers suggested that the drivers be sent to work in Malaysia.
The foundation said that Rp 3.5 billion would be needed to
send 500 drivers. The budget would include Rp 30 million to hold
press conferences.
The administration called it a good idea but rejected the
proposal due to a lack of funds. (07/jun)