Dear friends
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) and the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) regarding the eviction of another 5,900 urban poor people in Jakarta, Indonesia by the local governments. We need your continuous support to solve this matter. Please send a letter, fax or letter to urge the local authorities to stop the evictions immediately. If you have any question, please contact the COHRE at cohreasia@cohre.orgor Tel: +61 3 9417 7505 / Fax: +61 3 9416 2746.
To see our previous appeal regarding this matter, please visit:
[FA-39-2003: http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2003/583/]
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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UPDATE ON EVICTION:
On 10 October 2003, 750 households (about 5,000 persons) living in Muara Angke of North Jakarta were evicted by the North Jakarta government. This kampung is located in the riverbank of Angke river (the kampung is also located next to the luxurious settlement of Pantai Indah Kapuk). The community have been living in the area for over tens of year. On 19 September 2003, the Sub-District head issued a directive prohibiting the construction of buildings on the riverbanks of Angke river. The community met with the sub-district head. One of the results of the meeting was that the sub-district head agreed to bring the people’s proposal (asking an alternative land before the eviction is undertaken) to the Major and the Governor. On 10 October 2003, the Mayor of North Jakarta, H.M. Effendi, demanded the houses on the riverbank be demolished within 72 hours. The people were asked to move to uninhabitable swamp land near Kali Adem
On 15 October 2003, 900 more villagers living in 284 houses in Tegal Alur, West Jakarta were evicted by the West Jakarta government. The local government stated that the houses standing on 2 hectares of the total 60 hectares of land owned by General Interment Agency were illegal and that the villagers had no official permission to use that land. The land will be “cleansed” to broaden graveyard areas in Jakarta. The local security officers commanded the people living in that area to demolish their own homes, which some people were willing to do to prevent the materials of their homes [such as iron sheets] being destroyed; they could use the same materials to build new houses in another area.
On 22 October 2003, Sutiyoso, Governor of Jakarta, before a representative from National Commission for Human Rights and a head of National Commission for Child Protection, stated that there will be no eviction until Idd al-Fitr (Moslem celebration day after Ramadan). But only six hours after the statement, 1,000 local security officers still evicted 700 homes in Kali Adem. Now, hundreds of people (including children) have no choice but to live in riverboats.
Similarly, on the morning of 26 October 2003, the Minister of Settlement and Marine Resources officially visited Kapuk Muara, North Jakarta, a fisher-folk community about to be evicted by the Jakarta authority. The Minister of Settlement stated in public that the eviction of the community should be postponed. Later that same afternoon the community was evicted by the local authorities. Sutyoso, the Governor of Jakarta gave a media interview two days later stating that the ‘Ministers should mind their own business, not meddling into others’.
However, some progress has been made on the dialogue front. In Surabaya, East Java, prominent architects and city planners such as Andy Siswanto, Eko Prawoto, Father Magnis Suseno, University professors such as PM Laksono, an anthropologist from Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Mansour Fakih, a member of the National Commission of Human Rights and Gus Dur, the former president before Megawati, have all joined hands with the people and Urban Poor Consortium (Konsorsium Kemiskinan Kota), to stop the East Java City Council from passing the bylaw that will legalize the eviction of communities along the riverbanks. This will be used as a precedence to apply throughout Indonesia. At the moment the City Council has stopped the discussion of the draft, which is still pending.
In Makassar, the victims of Karuwisi eviction together with NGO and students groups have brought a case against Mr. Muis Harmunis. The villagers have been living in Karuwisi since the Japanese occupation; they bought the land and have been paying land/building taxes ever since. Since 1994 however, Mr. Muis Harmunis has claimed to be the owner of the land with an ownership certificate (although there has been no proof map at the Provincial Land Bureau) and has been trying to intimidating the people to take the land away from them. The Provincial Land Bureau has given official support to the people against the claim by Muis Harmunis.
Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) has also been successful in securing an agreement with the National Land Bureau to launch an alternative solution through integrated land consolidation and other techniques in seven major cities, i.e. Makassar, Batam, Medan, Lampung, Palembang, Jakarta, Surabaya. UPC has presented the idea to the Minister of Settlement and is positive of the support and the outcome.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send an appeal letter, e-mail or fax to the addresses below requesting local authorities to correct this matter.
1. Mrs. Megawati Soekarnoputri, President, Jl. Veteran No. 16, Jakarta, Indonesia, Fax: +62 21 3442223
2. Agung Imam Sumanto, Chairperson of Jakarta City Council, Jl. Kebon Sirih 18, Jakarta, Indonesia, Fax: +62 21 345 4309 / 3508701 / 38123881
3. National Commission for Human Rights, Jl.Latuharhary No.4B Menteng Jakarta Pusat 10330, Tel: +62 21 3925230, Fax: +62 21 3925227
4. Minister for Human Rights and Law Affairs, Jl.Rasuna Said Kav.6-7 Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia, Tel: +62 21 525 3889, Fax: +62 21 525 3095
5. Sutiyoso, Governor of Jakarta, City Hall, Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No.8-9, Jakarta, Indonesia, Fax: +62 21 384 8653
6. Head of National Police (KAPOLRI), Jl.Tronojoyo No.3 Kebayoran baru Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia, Tel: +62 21 726 0306, Fax: +62 21 720 7277
7. Minister for Human Settlement and Regional Infrastructure, Jl.Patimura 20, Kebayoran Baru, Jaksel, Indonesia, Fax: +62 21 726 0769
Sample letter:
Evictions are continuing in Jakarta Indonesia.
Re: Forced eviction of urban poor in Jakarta
I am writing with great concern that the local authorities have evicted another 5,900 people in the past two weeks in Jakarta. More seriously, the eviction is continuing even though the governor of Jakarta promised that there would be no eviction until Idd al-Fitr on 22 October 2003.
To mention recent eviction cases briefly:
1. On 10 October 2003, the North Jakarta government evicted 750 households (about 5,000 persons) living in Muara Angke of North Jakarta. This kampung is located in the riverbank of Angke river (the kampung is also located next to the luxurious settlement of Pantai Indah Kapuk). On 19 September 2003, the Sub-District head issued a directive prohibiting the construction of buildings on the riverbanks of Angke River. On 10 October 2003, the Mayor of North Jakarta, H.M. Effendi, demanded the houses on the riverbank be demolished within 72 hours. The people were asked to move to uninhabitable swampland near Kali Adem.
2. On 15 October 2003, the West Jakarta government evicted 900 more villagers living in 284 houses in Tegal Alur, West Jakarta. The local government stated that the land owned by General Interment Agency and that the villagers had no official permission to use that land.
3. On 22 October 2003, 1,000 local security officers still evicted 700 homes in Kali Adem. Now, hundreds of people (including children) have no choice but to live in riverboats.
4. On 26 October 2003, the local authorities evicted a fisher-folk community in Kapuk Muara, North Jakarta.
Under these circumstances, I strongly urge the Indonesian government to immediately stop the ongoing evictions and put in place a three-month moratorium. I also urge the Indonesian government to initiate dialogue with the evicted families including consultation with civil society groups to find alternatives. I further urge the Indonesian government to ensure all evicted families are provided with adequate compensation and rehabilitation.
Sincerely yours,
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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SAMPLE LETTER
