Defendants absent from eviction trial

JAKARTA: The first hearing of the trial over the decision to evict about 300 Muara Angke fishermen and their families went on Tuesday without the presence of the defendants -- the North Jakarta mayor, Effendy Anas and the head of Penjaringan district, Setiabudi.

The evictees' lawyers from People's Legal Aid Institute (LBHR) read out their complaint over the eviction to the judge of the State Administrative Court.

The lawyers said that although the defendants' absence was not in itself against the law, it showed that the administration was not taking the trial seriously.

"We demand them to respect the court's summons," said one of the lawyers, Taufiq Basari.

Presiding judge Yodi Martono said the defendants could not attend because "they had something else to do".

The lawyers sued the officials for violating Articles 1 and 3 of Law No. 51/1960 on Land Use which stipulates that only the governor has the power to evict people from state land.

The Oct. 22 eviction was done on orders from the Penjaringan district office and the North Jakarta municipality.--JP