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The
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of LOCOA
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Hot News ]
Demonstration
Stopped
Jakarta,
Indonesia
"Hey doggie, don't get so stuck up!?"
Slamet, one of the squatters at Karang Anyar, Jakarta,
shouted the policemen who harassed him in the morning they evicted his community
October 31,2000. It was the first eviction of poor community in Jakarta since
the economic crises befell Indonesia four years ago. The crisis has become a
blessing in disguise for the urban poor: it stops forced eviction and land
grabbing from the poor. But as the economy slowly gets better, evictions start
again in Jakarta.
Now, Where to Go ?
 Karang Anyar where Slamet and his friends live is
situated under a railway road, in the middle of business areas, shopping centres
and malls. It is around 4 hectares gliding beside the railroad. There are 265
households or around 1,400 people who live there, the majority are
waste-pickers, street vendors, pedicab drivers. They built their six square
meter houses from cardboard, pieces of used-wood and plastics. They have been
occupying the land that belongs to the railway company since the 1970's and have
been been evicted several times, but always come back because they have no other
place to go. In the past, the municipality evicted them for beauty reasons,
squatter communities tainted the beautiful image of the city. Now, the reason is
more difficult to fight against. The local government is increasing the land tax
which forces the land owner to commercialize the land, and evict the squatters
from it for good.
Mobilization of Urban Poor
The people, however, strongly resisted the
eviction. Together with the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) they organized a press
conference to raise the issue and get public support. It got wide coverage and
resulted in the company agreeing to meet them to negotiate. The negotiation
ended up in a deadlock, since the people refused to move and the company wanted
otherwise. The people and the UPC then organized a demonstration that mobilized
thousands of urban poor in the House of Representatives
Demonstration Stopped
The demonstrators refused to go home and stayed in
front yard of the House for five days. When finally the House called for a
hearing and mediated a negotiation with the company and the local government.
The result was that the company offered them temporarily stay on the land for
six months (until May 2001). The people continued to stay on the land and
decided to remain there and fight for their rights for the land. The strong
resistance of the people slowed down the eviction plans of the local government.
Land eviction in Jakarta has stopped again. Since then in order to find a more
sustainable solution to the problem, the Urban Poor Consortium and the Urban
Poor Network of Jakarta proposed the government to make an inventory of land
ownership and distribution; and based on it to redraw a city plan that gives
space for the poor to live a dignified life. It is not an easy to do and as
predicted the government does not agree with it. The urban poor, however,
learned from the experience that by being strongly organized they can force
change for the better.
by
M. Gamulya
Urban
Poor Consorrtium, Jakarta
LOCOA :
Leaders and Organizers of Community Organization in Asia
28-B, Matino cor. Malumanay Street, Sikatuna
Village, Brgy
Malaya Quezon City, Philippines
Tel :
(632) 925-8432, 426-4119, 922-0988 Fax : (632) 426-4118
E-mail :
locoa2000@yahoo.com
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