Urgent Action Appeal: Jakarta

HIC

Background

1. On 24 August 2008, eviction was taken place in Taman BMW, North Jakarta. Eviction was conducted by Jakarta’s government through its public order officer. There were 5000 troops equipped with hard tools that manage to evict 6000 people who have lived there for the last 3 years. The troop demolished the house, closed all the wells, cut all electricity network and leave people on distress. At first, there wasn’t any alternative solution offered by the government toward affected people. Only when negotiated by the National Commission on Human Right then the Jakarta’s Government offered two options to the people, i.e., 1). Relocation to the social housing located 15 km from the site for those who have Jakarta ID card and 2). Return to the village/rural area for those who don’t have Jakarta ID card. Those options were declined by the people since it does not accommodate the necessity of the people to be close to their place of work, in order to survive.

2. The eviction was conducted by the government by reasoning on government plan to regain green space area in Jakarta. Taman BMW, sized 26,5 hectares is planned to be built as International standard sport center (14%) where the other (86%) is planned to be Green Space area. The reason why government insist to regain its green space area is due to the obligation pledge on Earth Conference on 1992 where all big cities is obliged to have 30% of its area as a Green Space area. From all total green space in Jakarta, 1960 hectares has shifted into malls, apartments, luxurious residents and also golf yard. Only 218 hectares was occupies by poor people including Taman BMW.

3. After the eviction, the people remain on the same place. There are 400 families that decide to stay and together with the Organizations (MANTAP) proposed alternative solution called “Land Sharing”. With the concept, the people pledge to be the guard of Green Space Area and ask to have 5% of total area for their settlement. The concept is 3-4 storey building where the people could share and live together and played a role as a guardian of green space area where the people could do the greenery, waste management, etc.

4. During the process of negotiation, the people were totally abandoned by the government. There are no aids from the Jakarta’s government. For more than one month after the eviction, the people are living in devastated situation. There is no adequate shelter, electricity, and clean water for the people. The only aids came from private sector (organizations, individual and private company). Due to the negotiation by National Commission on Human Right, the Jakarta’s government agreed to stop eviction during the fasting month. But after Islamic fest (Iedul Fitri) the Government plan to build fence and clean all the sites from the people (9th October 2008).

5. On 8th October 2008, the Jakarta’s government (through 300 public order officer) re-evict the people. the eviction was followed by violence action that injured 6 people (Wagirah (woman, 45 year old), Raningsih (woman, 33 year old), Milhandi (boy, 6 year old), Boki (woman, 48 year old), Rajarikson (man, 17 year old), Sumanta (man, 24 year old) . Before the eviction, the people witnessed that the public order officer were drinking and drunk while demolished, burn the huts and injured the people.
6. At this presents, the people were remain on the same sites and rebuild their huts. The national commission on human right are now trying to negotiate with the Jakarta’s government to postponed their plan ti build fence due to the fact of violence.