Stranded evictees almost forgotten

Bambang Nurbianto Jakarta

The hustle and bustle of Jakarta's 477th anniversary celebrations has helped mask the sad fate of thousands of evictees who were forced out of their houses last year. Some of these evictees have returned to their hometowns, but many are still in the capital, hoping to rebuild their shattered dreams as well as their demolished houses.

Many of the evictees are taking refuge at the office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in Central Jakarta.

For 50-year-old Saifuddin, last year's forcible eviction not only cost him his home in East Cengkareng, West Jakarta, but also his job as a vendor because all off his goods were destroyed in the eviction.

The Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) has estimated that more than 5,000 families were evicted in 2003.

Another evictee at the Komnas HAM office, Toni Safari, said there about 200 evictees were taking refuge at the office. Most of them were forced out of their homes in Tanjung Duren and East Cengkareng.

He said most people had forgotten about them, particularly with all the big events taking place recently, such as the April 5 legislative election, Jakarta's anniversary and the upcoming July 5 presidential election.

The evictees are facing food shortages as the food being provided by donors cannot meet their needs. Children have been forced to help their parents earn money by begging or working as street singers near the Komnas HAM office.

"I hope people will remember that our fate has not changed. In fact, it's getting worse. We still need help," he said.

Supandi -- who had to send his six children back to his hometown of Pemalang, Central Java, after their eviction -- expressed his disappointment with political parties who promised to help them but did nothing.

"Some party representatives visited us and expressed their readiness to supply us food, but we never received anything from them," he said.

The evictees found themselves without homes as a result of Governor Sutiyoso's ambition to rid Jakarta of slums. The governor said that squatters, living in shacks, were responsible for turning state-owned land or private property into slums, so there was no need for the administration to provide the evictees with shelter after tearing down their shacks.

Sutiyoso ignored the fact that many of the evictees had paid money to obtain permits from subdistrict officials to live in their shacks, as well as to access water, electricity and sometimes telephone lines. He also ignored that some of the evictees had contributed to his administration by paying their property taxes.

When the Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure proposed setting up low-cost housing in several provinces, Jakarta turned down the offer, reasoning that the price of land in the capital had skyrocketed and would better serve commercial purposes.

The administration in the end offered the evictees three choices: join the transmigration program, return to their hometowns or move into low-cost apartments here, some built by a private foundation, though that last option was only for those with Jakarta ID cards.

Most evictees rejected the first offer, saying they did not want to move to a strange place they knew nothing about.

"I was born and grew up here. I won't leave Jakarta," said Supandi.

Eviction victims who came to Jakarta from different cities, however, are demanding proper shelter from the administration.

Warsiman, who has rebuilt his shack in Muara Angke, North Jakarta, said he has registered for a low-cost apartment near his home.

"You can see the condition of our home now. It's not healthy for our children. I just hope the administration will soon live up to its promise," he told The Jakarta Post.

Warsiman's family is among the some 430 families still living in the area after their homes were demolished.

Activists have called on the administration to come up with proper solutions for the evictees.

"Without proper solutions, it is better for the administration to postpone plans to evict more squatters. Otherwise, more social problems will occur," Fakta chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan said.

The Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) has estimated that over 8,000 shanties will be demolished this year.

"If this inhumane policy continues, I am afraid that frustrated evictees will become the source of social problems in the community," UPC activist Edi Saidi said. "So, the administration must provide an amicable solution to avoid this."