Sutiyoso to evict more street traders

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso pledged Friday to continue the evictions against street vendors and poor people living along the riverbanks this Ramadhan despite Minister of Manpower Jacob Nuwa Wea's criticism.

He said the administration was ready to counter any criticism as be believed that the evictions were legal.

"The evictions put us in a dilemma, but it is about law enforcement," he told reporters.

The administration's policy to evict the squatters has been widely criticized by some segments of the public.

The latest criticism was made by Jacob on Thursday, when he accused the administration of evicting those people for the sake of keeping the city beautiful. As for the street vendors, he said that the government should regulate and guide the traders instead of simply cracking them down.

"Will the minister (Jacob) accept it if the city becomes more disorganized? Will you (reporters) let the disorder continue here?" Sutiyoso asked.

The administration, Sutiyoso claimed, had tolerated the slum areas for a long time. He said it was time to evict those living along the riverbanks to prevent flooding.

He claimed the administration warned them three times before evicting them and gave them compensation, which he said was adequate, despite the limited city budget. The administration gave between Rp 100,000 to Rp 250,000 as a "goodwill allowance" to each evicted family.

Sutiyoso refused to provide them with alternative accommodation because the families do not have Jakarta ID cards.