Fishermen to sue North Jakarta

JAKARTA: Evicted fishermen from Muara Angke in North Jakarta filed a lawsuit on Monday at the Jakarta State Administrative Court against the Penjaringan district and North Jakarta municipality offices.

The fishermen accused the two offices of violating Article 3 of Law No. 51/1960 on land use.

The article gives the right to clear land from buildings erected without the city administration's consent to the governor.

Therefore, the fishermen argued, the North Jakarta mayor and Penjaringan district chief had no right to evict the fishermen last Oct. 22.

The fishermen also stated that the eviction process was a violation of Articles 31 and 40 of Law No. 39/1999 on human rights, which stipulates that every citizen has the right to shelter and to earn a decent living, and that nobody has the right to destroy the shelters of others.

The first hearing will be on Dec. 23. The fishermen will be represented by Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) and People's Legal Aid Institute (LBH Rakyat). -- JP