Sutiyoso sued in class action over public order raids

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

About 200 pedicab (becak) drivers, buskers, vendors and other low-income Jakartans staged a very vocal rally at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday as they gave support to their colleagues, who filed a class action lawsuit against Governor Sutiyoso in response to the city administration's raids against them.

They also filed suit against the city police chief and the city military commander for backing the raids.

The large group crowded the court yard and displayed posters all the while loudly condemning the governor's policies, which they claim discriminate against low-income people.

"Sutiyoso is the terminator of poor people," one of them shouted, in reference to the governor's attempts to clear the city from those regarded to have disrupted the order.

A total of 57 plaintiffs, who were organized by the Jakarta Becak Association of the Urban Poor Consortium, have appointed eight people among themselves as legal advocates.

"The deployment of thousands of public order officers, police officers and military officers to fight against common people is an insult against people's rights," the plaintiffs claimed.

According to the plaintiffs, the city administration had spent "billions of rupiah" from the city budget 2001 to drive them from the city.

So far this year, a total of 9,194 becak drivers, 71,847 street vendors and 50 street washers have been encouraged to go into other lines work because of the raids, the plaintiffs said.

They claimed that the city public order officers had arrested nine becak drivers, 255 buskers, 436 prostitutes, 10 street children, and 329 self-appointed traffic facilitators. In addition, they have also arrested 85 women and children who offered their services to motorists in order that they could drive in carpool lanes. The other people who were arrested were 12 street beggars and 22 lepers or mental patients.

One civilian guard was killed and eight people were severely injured because of the raids, while over 1,000 houses and shanties have thus far been destroyed in the city's ambitious clean-up program.

The plaintiffs demanded that the court order the accused to stop the sweeps against the people and stop arresting them. They also asked the court to fine Sutiyoso Rp 1 million a day if he failed to carry out the court decision.

Another demand being made was for the city administration to close down the warehouse in Cakung, where the seized pedicabs had been stored as well as the shelter in Kedoya, where the arrested people ha been held.

They also asked the city administration to make a public apology.