Scavengers show off force

Scavengers show off force

JAKARTA (JP): In a show of force to end intimidation by security officers, hundreds of scavengers from greater Jakarta staged a protest at the House of Representatives here yesterday.

They claimed that some businessmen of Chinese descent have resorted to violence and terror after they had exhausted peaceful bids to acquire land which has long been occupied by hundreds of scavengers.

The protesters also claimed that the firms colluded with members of the Armed Forces (ABRI) and hired street hoodlums in a desperate bid to evict the scavengers and secure the land for development projects.

The protesters from Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi unloaded their frustration on the faction of the ruling Golkar party represented by legislators Anwar Ilmar and Kamil Sahab.

Led by top leaders of the Association of Indonesian Scavengers, including its chief Cathy Lengkong, a one-time little known film starlet, the protest passed off peacefully.

Cathy warned that the use of violence and intimidation has tested the patience of scavengers in the North Jakarta suburbs of Intraco, Bedeng, Semper Barat, Green Garden, Pademangan Timur and Mangga Dua.

"Hoodlums backed by ABRI individuals who back the companies have intimidated us, buried ready-for harvest paddy, burned down huts and physically harassed scavengers" she said.

She brought a list of the names of ABRI individuals, who she said backed the companies.

The violence has stirred sentiments of Sinophobia among the affected people and this could flare into an open conflict unless it is appropriately handled, she said.

Anwar and Kamil promised to channel the scavengers' problem to the relevant agencies. (pan)