Sutiyoso's supporters chase away flood victims
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Wielding sticks and swords, hundreds of supporters of City Governor Sutiyoso threatened and chased away dozens of flood victims who staged a protest in front of City Hall on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.
The protesters, who were organized by the non-governmental organization, Urban Poor Consortium, arrived in a bus and a pickup truck at the scene at about 10 a.m., unfurling a one- kilometer-long banner along the road's berm.
Fifteen minutes later, Sutiyoso's supporters, grouped under the United Betawi Forum (FBR), arrived on dozens of motorcycles and cars and grabbed the banner, which was marked with hundreds of signatures.
The governor's supporters asked the protesters to leave the scene and one of them pointed a sword at UPC's chairwoman, Wardah Hafids, and then beat up one of Wardah's friends, who had tried to protect her.
Wardah told reporters that her supporters were, "protesting the way the governor uses the Betawi people to attack us".
A comical incident occurred when Wardah received a written statement from one of FBR's member.
It stated that the forum was ready to attack Wardah and her friends for causing chaos and using poverty for its own interests.
"They gave me the statement. They did not recognize me," Wardah quipped.
The FBR also supported Governor Sutiyoso's policy in handling floods in the city.
Wearing black clothes and hats, Sutiyoso's supporters continued their rally to the nearby City Council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih.
City Council chairman Edy Waluyo, who was presiding an internal meeting with council leaders on the building's second floor, was shocked when FBR members knocked on the door. He asked them to leave immediately.
Edy finally met supporters in the council's lobby to receive their demands, which included a demand for the administration to provide them with jobs.
One of the supporters admitted that he was promised Rp 50,000 to join the rally.
Sutiyoso could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
The rally held by flood victims at City Hall also announced that they would file a suit at Central Jakarta District against the government.
Fourteen representatives of the flood victims, demanded the President, City Governor and West Java Governor pay compensation of more than Rp 2.7 billion.
Plaintiffs said the government had failed to give prior warning, causing damage and losses to residents during the floods.
They were represented by 32 lawyers, mostly from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH).
The plaintiffs said that more than 97,300 families or 365,000 people had to leave their house and find a temporary shelter due to the huge floods that hit the city from the end of January to early in February.