Evictee family faces further heartbreak

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Rusdi, his wife and their one-month-old baby had very little to hope for as Ramadhan approached this year. The family had already lost so much, but to their sorrow they would learn that they could lose so much more.

First, the family lost its house in Tanjung Duren Selatan, which was demolished by West Jakarta public order officers on Oct. 2. Then the makeshift tent they put up on the site of their former house, and from which they sold cigarettes to earn money, was burned down by a group of unidentified men on Sunday at about 7 p.m.

But the cruelest blow came when Rusdi died during the attack on Sunday, as his life's possessions burned up before his eyes.

Witness Nelson Pasaribu, also an evictee who was living in a tent near Rusdi's, said on Monday that Rusdi's body was taken by the unidentified men to a location near the Taman Anggrek Mal.

"This afternoon we saw a hearse coming from that location toward Grogol, followed by a truck packed with men. We were able to identify them as the men who demolished our tents yesterday," he said. "We assume Rusdi's body was taken to be buried."

Pasaribu said the evictees might not be able to file a report with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) about Rusdi's death because they did not have any solid evidence.

Komnas HAM deputy chairman Solahuddin Wahid said he had not received any reports on the incident.

He only said the Komnas HAM would summon Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso and West Jakarta Mayor Sarimun Hadisaputra on Tuesday to explain alleged human rights violations that occurred during the eviction of squatters in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, on Sept. 17.

Komnas HAM is investigating the death of Toto Supriyanto, who died from injuries received in a clash with West Jakarta public order officers and police officers during the eviction.

Rusdi's death was the second during this year's eviction.

Several non-governmental organizations have demanded the city put a halt to the evictions.

Meanwhile, Pasaribu said there was no sign of Rusdi's wife and baby, preventing the evictees from filing a report with the police.

"Rusdi's wife is nowhere to be found right now. We have no case here. We think the land owner, who we believe ordered the evictions, offered Rusdi's family some money to keep them quiet," he said.

The makeshifts tents erected near the abandoned Bank Dewa Ruci building were "cleared" away by public order officers and the unidentified men.

Pasaribu said he and dozens of other evictees were now staying in bus shelter along Jl. S. Parman.

"Of course we can't stay there for long because the public order officers and police will evict us again," he said.

He hinted that the evictees might shelter at the Komnas HAM office in Central Jakarta.

City -- page 8