Evictees demand promised relief

Evictees demand promised relief

JAKARTA: Hundreds of evictees from Cengkareng Timur, Jembatan
Besi and Tanjung Duren Selatan, all in West Jakarta, held a
protest on Thursday in front of the offices of the Coordinating
Minister of People's Welfare and the Ministry of Social Affairs,
demanding the government make good on its promise to distribute
relief goods.

"Both ministers have promised to distribute about 1,000
packages, according to the data we gave them," said Marlo
Sitompul, coordinator of the Coalition of Evicted People (PRT).
"But they have distributed only 290 packages, of which 190 were
received by people who weren't even evicted!"

Thursday's rally is the third this month. Previously, PRT has
protested the mistargeted packages and the ministers promised to
investigate the case and distribute more packages. Each aid
package contains Rp 300,000 (US$35) in cash, 30 kilograms of
rice, two blankets and a sarong.

Besides demanding the fulfillment of the promises, they also
asked the government to provide proper housing for the poor. -- JP