Slum residents vow to stay at City Council

Slum residents vow to stay at City Council

JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of squatters from a number of slum areas
in the capital, accusing the authorities of forcibly removing
them from their shanties, vowed on Wednesday to remain in the
City Council compound until they receive appropriate
compensation.

Under the coordination of the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC), the
protesters, including housewives and children, said their houses
had been all they owned, leaving them no choice but to do
everything within their power, including camping out in the
council compound, to receive compensation for their losses.

One of the protesters, Sutarto, alias Sitok, 38, said their
houses were the only thing of value they owned.

"We have no idea where we will live after being forced to move
out of our homes," said Sitok.

As of Wednesday, the protesters had not heard anything about
their demand for compensation. Their representatives are still
discussing the issue with councillors.

Sitok, a scavenger originally from Pekalongan, Central Java,
said he had lived in a shanty in the slum area under the Karang
Anyar railway flyover in Karang Anyar subdistrict, Central
Jakarta, for the past two years.

He said he was one of dozens of people in the area whose
houses were cleared away by the city authorities on Monday.

Angered by the action of the authorities, they gathered at the
City Council complex that same day to lodge a protest. They were
joined by several other people who said they were victims and
would-be victims of similar actions in other slum areas in the
capital, including Pondok Kopi, Kebon Sawah, Cipinang Cempedak
and Kebon Jagung.

The protesters said they could not understand why such harsh
actions were being carried out by the government during the
reform era.

"During the era of (former president) Soeharto, we never saw
this type of action. People like us were usually relocated
temporarily because, for example, the president was about to pass
by the area. Later, we were allowed to return," said another
protester, Bejo, 63, has lived in the area beneath the Karang
Anyar flyover for 36 years.

"We're also the owners of this country and the children of
this nation. Therefore, the city administration has no right to
move us from our homes," he said.

Judging by their remarks and the cooking utensils, sleeping
mats and clothes they brought with them, it appears the
protesters are serious in their threat to remain at the City
Council complex on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, until their
demands are met.

The group sang a medley of protest songs by Iwan Fals on
Wednesday, while dozens of police personnel could do nothing but
look on and listen.

Several female protesters cooked eels on two stoves set up on
the sidewalk, while others prepared rice.

"We collected the money for the food," said Nurmedi Silitonga,
a mother from Pondok Kopi in East Jakarta, who was hugging her
son.

She said a sign had been placed on her shanty indicating that
it was scheduled for destruction.

A number of people, apparently members of UPC, passed out
packages of rice to the protesters in the afternoon.

According to the protesters, they slept on the sidewalk in
front of the complex because the police expelled them from the
compound in the evening.

"They said if we refused to leave the compound we would be
taken to city police headquarters," Nurmedi said.

A number of those gathered are taking part in the protest on a
shift system with their spouses.

"I come here to relieve my husband," Nurmedi said. (asa)