Eviction keeps fishermen ashore

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Hundreds of fishermen who live along the banks of the Muara Angke River in North Jakarta did not go out to sea on Tuesday, instead staying at home to wait for the public order officers to come and try to demolish their houses.

Tuesday was the deadline for the fishermen to vacate their makeshift houses along the river, but the anticipated public order officers never arrived and there was no word if the deadline had been extended.

"We all decided not to go to sea today. We were worried the public order officers would come demolish our houses while we were away," said Cemplon, who is in his 40s and has lived along the river for about 20 years.

"If the officers forced us to leave, we were afraid our children would fall into the river in a panic," Cemplon said.

About 750 families grouped in the Traditional Fishermen Union were seen hanging around their platform houses by the river on Tuesday, restlessly waiting for the worse to come.

The fishermen, most of whom have lived in the area for more than 20 years, have said they will not move because they have nowhere else to go.

The residents refused the municipality's offer of Rp 1 million (US$119) in compensation to vacate their homes.

Blaming the residents for destroying the city's green belt, North Jakarta Mayor Effendi Anas issued a final eviction notice on Saturday, which stated that the residents had 72 hours to tear down their houses.

However, the fishermen are not the only one's occupying this former green area. There also are several apartment buildings, middle to upper-class housing complexes and office buildings.

The administration has revealed a plan to clear slum areas throughout the city, saying it is part of the effort to maintain public order.

Human rights and urban activists have criticized a recent string of evictions of poor people, which they say violated the people's basic right for shelter.

Next on the eviction list are about 250 houses that stand on a a graveyard in Tegal Alur, West Jakarta. Mayor Sarimun Hadisaputra said public order officers would clear the land on Wednesday.

The residents have packed up their belongings but are still refusing to vacate their houses.