Jakarta blasted for planned raids against newcomers

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In an effort to curb the flow of migrants into the capital, the Jakarta administration has plans to launch raids against newcomers this weekend amid much public criticism that it violates the Constitution.

"We will conduct operations during peak days of passenger arrivals at railway stations and terminals," the spokesman Muhayat said.

He said the operations against newcomers would be expanded to rented houses in heavily populated areas.

Wardah Hafidz, chairwoman of the Urban Poor Consortium blasted the plan, saying that, "It is within human rights to travel and to seek proper jobs. If they launch the raids, we will sue the administration for violating human rights and the State Constitution." Wardah spoke to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

She said the administration has no legal basis to conduct the raids, as the Constitution guarantees people the right to travel across the country and to seek employment.

She also revealed that her organization would file a judicial review if the city administration and the City Council approved a planned bylaw which will "close" the city to poor people.

"The raids and the planned bylaw show (Governor) Sutiyoso's failure to handle the urban poor problem. The raids and the planned bylaw will not solve the problem," Wardah said.

Since year 2000, the city administration has conducted similar raids, but has failed to curb the flow of migrants to the capital.

More people enter the city each year, especially after the Idul Fitri holiday. This year, Jakarta is expected to receive about 250,000 newcomers, most of them unskilled laborers.

Meanwhile, many city residents who celebrated Idul Fitri in their hometowns returned to Jakarta on Tuesday.

Taking economy class trains from cities in East Java, Central Java and West Java, at least 10,000 people arrived at Senen railway station in Central Jakarta, while another 3,000 arrived at Jatinegara railway station in East Jakarta.

Governor Sutiyoso has frequently called on people not to enter the city if they do not have jobs and permanent residences, or enough money for accommodations.

Last year, dozens of poor people were netted during the so- called ID card operation at railway stations, bus terminals and slum areas. Some of them were sent back to their hometowns and others were simply ordered to leave the city.

The administration also raided poor people, such as those living along riverbanks and pedicab drivers in slum areas.

The operations sparked public condemnation, while non- governmental organizations and the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) also spoke up against the operations.

The administration and the City Council are planning to formulate a bylaw which would ban poor, unskilled people from staying in the city. Sutiyoso said the bylaw was modeled on a similar regulation that had been issued by the Batam Island administration.

However, many people, including some city councillors, doubted that the regulation would solve the city's population problems.

Former Governor Ali Sadikin once issued a gubernatorial decree, No. 35/1970, which declared Jakarta a closed city. The decree banned outsiders from living here without permanent jobs or homes.

The decree, however, was never implemented due to widespread criticism that it violates human rights and the Constitution. Ali is now Sutiyoso's advisor on population.

Jakarta is now home to at least 10 million people, but the number surges to about 12 million during the work week as many people from the buffer zones of Tangerang, Bekasi and Depok commute to the city.