Plant sellers protest over expulsion plan
JAKARTA (JP): A total of 40 decorative plant traders along Jl. T.B. Simatupang, South Jakarta, went to the City Council yesterday to protest an expulsion order.
They told members of the Council's Commission A, which is in charge of government, security and public order affairs, that the South Jakarta mayoralty is forcing them to move away next week because the site will be used to build gutters.
"We demand that the authority give us more time, at least until next Idul Fitri holiday when we usually get many orders. We need time and money to move to the new site," said Her Harahap, spokesperson of the delegation.
She explained that there are 85 traders currently operating along Jl. T.B. Simatupang who were forced to move from locations in Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta in 1989.
"Now we will be forced to move again as the state-owned highway company PT Bina Marga, the owner of the land, is going to use the site to build water ducts along the toll roads currently being built," Harahap said.
She said that the traders demand more humane treatment as most of them have so far fulfilled their obligations, including paying sanitary fees of between Rp 1,000 (45 US cents) to Rp 2,000 per location per day to the Cilandak administration.
"Now is not the right time to ask us to move. We don't have any money because plants haven't been selling well due to the long dry season. We are still waiting for the rainy season," she said.
Lastri, one trader, said that the Cilandak administration has issued an order requiring them to leave the site in seven days, otherwise law and order officers will bulldoze their plants.
She said that the officers who dispensed the eviction orders claimed to come from Bakorstanasda, the Jakarta office of National Security Coordinating Agency whose officers have had experience in handling demolition and eviction activities in other locations.
"I begged them for mercy, but one of the officers even asked 'who asked you to come to Jakarta?'in return," Lastri said.
The traders also claim they paid between Rp 500,000 to Rp 1 million each in 1989 to the Cilandak administration in a bid to secure a location at the site.
No compensation
Another trader, Dedi, acknowledged that the South Jakarta mayoralty has provided an area in Srengseng Sawah to accommodate them.
"However this offer has been rejected as it is too far away from our customers. And we doubt they would be willing to travel that far," he said.
He also said that most of the sellers are not only selling decorative plants but also offer services in planting, designing and landscaping in customers' houses.
Councilor Asaari Fatommy briefed the sellers that the South Jakarta mayoralty could not do anything about the plan because the land is owned by an institution outside its supervision.
"I have contacted the deputy mayor, who said that there will be no compensation. The plan can not be delayed because all the facilities now under construction are scheduled to be finished by next March," Fatommy said.
But he called for a peaceful conclusion so as to enable the traders to save their goods and move to the new site in stages.
"Bakorstanasda will not take part in the eviction unless there is a riot threatening people's security," Fatommy said, asking them not to do anything that could provoke physical clashes. (yns)