Eviction keeps fishermen ashore
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.