Sutiyoso gives go-ahead to vendor, squatter evictions

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ignoring criticism from all sides, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said on Monday he would go ahead with his policy of evicting street vendors and squatters.

The governor said the eviction policy was part of his administration's efforts to enforce the law and maintain security and order, to allow Jakarta to compete with other world capitals.

"They violate the law by selling their goods on the street or by illegally occupying land. It is the task of the governor to maintain security and order in the city and to make the city more competitive," Sutiyoso said.

The governor was speaking during impromptu visits to a number of offices on Monday to check that civil servants had reported back to work after the long Idul Fitri holiday.

The Jakarta administration has been widely criticized for its failure to provide any solution to the problem of street vendors and squatters other than eviction.

Officials have also been criticized for allowing squatters and street vendors settle in and take over areas of the city in the first place.

Criticism of the eviction policy as inhumane has come from no less than President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Prior to the holy month of Ramadhan, several rights bodies urged the administration to put in place a 180-day moratorium on evictions. This was not done, with city officials beginning a fresh round of eviction on Nov. 24, the eve of Idul Fitri.

On Nov. 25 and Nov. 27, thousands of vendors on Jl. Asia- Afrika in Central Jakarta and at Blok M, Pondok Labu, Mampang, Pasar Minggu and Kebayoran Lama were evicted.

Sutiyoso accused critics of his policy of trying to curry favor with the public before next year's general election.

Earlier, thousands of squatters were left homeless when public order officers, assisted by police officers, destroyed their homes in Muara Angke in North Jakarta, Cengkareng Timur, Tegal Alur and Tanjung Duren Selatan in West Jakarta, and in Cipinang Muara in East Jakarta.

Sutiyoso did not say which squatters were next for eviction, but public order offices have issued warnings to residents in Utan Panjang and Kebon Kosong in Central Jakarta, Kayuputih and Cipinang Besar Selatan in East Jakarta, Rawabadak and Semper Timur in North Jakarta, and Bukitduri in South Jakarta.

Regarding the eviction of street vendors, the governor said public order officers were only closing down those street vendors who refused to relocate to areas specially set aside for them by the administration.

The vendors say that the locations provided by the administration are poorly located and have little chance of attracting customers.

"In that case, it would be better if the vendors returned to their hometowns," Sutiyoso responded.