'Fire is the most effective way to evict people'

'Fire is the most effective way to evict people'

The recent Tanah Abang blaze was one of 98 fires that have broken out in the city since January this year, which have claimed a total of seven lives. The fires occurred due in part to the absence of appropriate fire prevention equipment and above all, public ignorance and indifference. But, many people suspect arson. The following people shared their views with The Jakarta Post:

Haryanto, 40, is a shop assistant in Central Jakarta. He resides in Tangerang, Banten with his wife and son:

The rampant fires, which have razed many parts of the city, have strengthened my personal conviction that there is something irregular behind the fires.

I remember when the traditional market in Blok M, South Jakarta burned down a few years ago. There were many vendors and traders who had been pressured to move to another location long before the blaze, but they resisted.

Then, to my surprise, I saw the place incinerate a few months later.

I don't go along with the theory that there was something wrong with the electrical system. If that were true, it was only used as a trigger to fulfill a certain motive.

Unfair competition among the traders is one probable motive. In addition, I'm afraid that it was just a conspiracy of the rich people and businessmen or even those in the city administration with vested interests. So, what happened in Tanah Abang was a sort of sabotage, if I may say so.

Maybe, fire is deemed the most effective way to forcibly evict illegal settlers from a certain area. Many slums that are in dispute with the city administration end in such fires.

Let's say it was true, then fire is the most practical way to settle quarrels between land owners and illegal settlers.

Gito, 26, is currently unemployed. He resides with his brother in Palmerah, West Jakarta:

I think the recent fires in the city are ultimately due to negligence.

The traders in traditional markets including Tanah Abang, Senen and other places tend to be careless about potential safety and security risks.

Worse still, the city administration also has not taken measures to tackle the risk of fire in those markets. It never takes measures to raise public awareness on the risk of fire.

The other cause is the attempt to forcibly evict people from those areas.

However, that's just a personal assumption.

Ayang, 29, is a housewife who resides in Ciledug, Tangerang with her family:

I suspect that the recent fires, including the fire in Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta last week, were triggered by manmade factors. I mean fire was deemed the most efficient way to conduct an eviction.

I think fire is the cheapest and yet most effective way to forcibly move "unwanted" parties. Perhaps persuasion or other decent ways are relatively more expensive and difficult.

Fire saves the energy and time needed to force people to move out. On the other hand, it would also benefit the mastermind because there would be a lucrative construction project following the blaze.

I don't believe that a short circuit or other factors are to blame.

I think the city administration has failed to maintain fire prevention equipment including water hydrants. It'd be better to allocate some funds to cope with the fire problem.

Jamilus, 25, is an administrative staff in a private company in Central Jakarta. He lives in Sawangan, West Java with his family:

I guess the blazes that occurred in Tanah Abang and in other places in the city recently were intentionally lit. Perhaps this is just one way for the city administration to get lucrative business bids to re-develop the market.

But it's time for the city administration to think over not only how to make money from the market but also to be more concerned about security and proper safety equipment.

The traders are forced to pay taxes but in return the city administration fails to provide better services and maintain safety equipment.

I just wonder how an electrical short circuit could cause such a huge blaze. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Worse still, people always ignore the fire risks even though it may put their lives in danger. They don't care about maintaining facilities such as hydrants.

I think people should be careful about fire risks and other safety factors.