31 October 2003

Mrs Megawati Soekarnoputri
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Veteran No. 16,
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-345 2685
        

Your Excellency,

Our organization writes to you to express our deep
concern about  the large-scale evictions of urban poor
families  being carried out by the Jakarta city
government and its district governments, such as,
North Jakarta, West Jakarta, East Jakarta and Central
Jakarta over the past two months.

        26th August 2003, 2000 households in Jembatan Besi,
West Jakarta
        2nd September 2003, 189 houses in Sunter Jaya,
Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta 
        17th September 2003, 700 houses in Kampung Baru,
East Cengkareng Timur, West Jakarta
        2nd  October 2003, 2,500 people living in 520 houses
in Kampung Sawah, Tanjung Duren,f West Jakarta
        10th October 2003, 750 households in Muara Angke,
North Jakarta
        15th October 2003, 284 houses in Tegal Alur, West
Jakarta
        22 October 2003, 700 houses in Kali Adem
        26th October, 500 houses in Kapuk Muara, North
Jakarta

According to information we have received, local
government officials together with police officers and
civilian militia use intimidation and force,  even the
firing of  rubber bullets and   fire  to carry out
these  activities.

Some 5,643 urban poor families   have been forcibly
evicted.  People lost their homes, jobs and
livelihood, children were traumatized and their
schooling affected,  women were hurt.  They feel their
government is waging war against them.  Yet they are
your citizens, honest and hardworking. Your government
has the obligation and duty to protect and respect the
citizens human rights. These poor people contribute a
lot to the urban economy.

By evicting them your government is violating the
citizens rights as enshrined in the Constitution of
the Republic of Indonesia  (1945) in Article 27 (1)
guarantees that (1) All citizens, without exception,
shall be equal before the law and in government and
shall have the duty to respect the law and the
government. (2) Every citizen shall have the right of
employment and to a living befitting human beings.

The Law of the Republic of Indonesia Law No.4 (1992)
Article 5.(1) guarantees that
(1) Every citizen has the right to occupy and/or enjoy
and/or own a decent house in a healthy, safe,
harmonious and orderly environment. (2) Every citizen
has the obligation and responsibility to participate
in the construction of real estate and residential
areas.

We would like to bring to your attention that the
United Nations, upholding  the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, has  since  1993  declared forced
evictions as  gross violations of human rights, in
particular the right to adequate housing.  Forced
evictions are also considered violations of  Article
27 (3) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC)which the Government of Indonesia ratified in
October 1990 says: State Parties in accordance with
national conditions and within their means shall take
appropriate measure to assist parents and others
responsible for the child to implement this right and
shall in the case of need provide material assistance
and support programmes, particularly with regards to
nutrition, clothing and housing.
Forced evictions  also violate Article 14(2)(h) of the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which the
Government of Indonesia ratified in October 1984
says:State Parties shall take all appropriate measures
to eliminate discrimination against women.., shall
ensure to such women the right(h) to enjoy adequate
living conditions, particularly in relation to
housing, sanitation, electricity and water supply,
transport and communications.
Furthermore, the government of Indonesia has committed
itself to the global plan of action of Habitat II, in
1996, which recognizes the right to adequate housing,
condemns forced evictions and encourages a humane way
of dealing with poor squatter families.

We, therefore,  urge your Excellency to immediately
instruct the City Governor and Mayors of Jakarta to:
1.        to  stop immediately all evictions and to put in
place a three month moratorium;
2.        to initiate dialogue with the urban poor, in
particular  the evicted families, including
consultation with civil society groups to find
alternatives, taking advantage of the holy month of
Ramadan;
3.        to provide  all evicted families  with adequate
compensation and  rehabilitation;
4.        to take all necessary measures to prevent further
forced evictions, to   respect human rights, including
the right to adequate housing for the urban poor;
5.        to revise the Bylaw No. 11/1988 and other
regulations  of the City of  Jakarta which does not
respect the right to housing of the urban poor;
6.        to develop and implement a Resettlement Policy.
Excellency,  you have the power to help make the  holy
month of Ramadan eviction free and to push for  a
meaningful dialogue  between the  government and the
urban poor. The international civil society community
expects you to do no less.

Respectfully yours,

Your name
Your Organization



__________________________________

 

FAX letter to 
President Megawati

AND 

CC:
Hamzah Haz
Vice President,
Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Kebon Sirih No. 14
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-344 7538

Sutiyoso
Governor of Jakarta
City Hall
Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No.8-9
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-384 8653

Effendy Anas
Mayor of North Jakarta
Jl. Yos Sudarso 27-29
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-490 581

Mayor of Central Jakarta
Jl. Tanah Abang I
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-344 0610

Kusnan A. Halim
Mayor of East Jakarta
Sentra Primer Baru Timur
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-487 02159

Sarimun Hadisaputra
Mayor of West Jakarta Municipality
Jl. Raya Kembangan No.2
West Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-582 1720

Edi Waluyo
Chair of Jakarta City Council
Jl. Kebon Sirih 18
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-345 4309, 3508701, 38123881
Yusuf Kalla
Coordinating Minister of Peoples Welfare
Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No.3
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-348 32049

Susilo Bambang Yudoyono
Coordinating Minister of Politics and Security
Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No.15
Jakarta, INDONESIA
Fax: 62-21-345 0918

National Commission for Human Rights
Jl.Latuharhary No.4B Menteng Jakarta Pusat 10330
(T) 021-3925230; (Fax) 62-21-3925227

National Commission for Womens Rights
Fax. 62-21-3903922

National Commission for Childrens Rights
Fax. 62-21-8416157

KAPOLRI (Head of National Police)
Jl.Tronojoyo No.3 Kebayoran baru Jakarta Selatan
(T)021-7260306; ( Fax) 62-21-7207277

Kapolda Metro Jaya (Head of Jakarta Provincial Police)
Fax. 62-21-5703029

Minister for Human Rights and Law Affairs
Jl.Rasuna Said Kav.6-7 Jakarta Pusat
(T) 021-5253889 ; (Fax) 62-21-5253095

Commission II, National House of Representatives
Fax. 62-21-5756252

Minister for Human Settlement and Regional
Infrastructure
Jl.Patimura 20
Kebayoran Baru, Jaksel
fax. 62-21-7260769

BPN (National Land Bureau)
Jl.Sisinga Mangaraja 2
Jakarta
fax. 62-21-7254725

Letter of Concern to President Megawati from ACHR

UPDATE
BACKGROUND BRIEF

In Jakarta there have been two recent violent attacks on urban community organizations and human rights groups in public places and in their offices.  These unacceptable attacks have been orchestrated and implemented in the style of a militia, yet the police, municipality and government has as yet failed to make efforts to identify and bring to justice those responsible.

 

The acts were widely covered in Indonesia and international media, and so we are writing to suggest that appeals to the Municipality and Government suggesting that there are alternative ways to approach public power that make it part of the positive solution rather than a threat and problems may be an effective approach.  At the same time, stressing that these attacks are totally unacceptable.

 

We hope that you may be able to take the time to show your support.  

To the left is a copy of the letter that ACHR has sent to Indonesia,  and below it is a  list of people that the note was copied to.

 

APRIL 10   2002

Mrs Megawati Soekarnoputri
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Veteran No. 16,
Jakarta
INDONESIA

Re:    Acting Against Militia Violence in Jakarta

Your Excellency President Megawati,

It is unfortunate that recent unacceptable violent attacks on peaceful citizens organizations in Jakarta has forced us to write expressing our dismay at the events and the apparent impunity of the perpetrators.

The Asian Coalition for Housing Rights is a coalition of active professionals and urban community organizations from across Asia who are working towards urban development in partnership with their cities administrations.  ACHR members in cities around Asia work on building partnerships between urban poor groups and their governments to achieve mutually beneficial development, based on developing relationships of mutual respect and support.  ACHR would be happy to support the Government and the people in building such links and moving toward more inclusive democracy.

We have seen the news of the violent attacks on peaceful community organizations in Jakarta on 28 March 2002, and are equally alarmed by the lack of response from the municipality and police in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

We understand that the urban poor group was holding a peaceful meeting outside the National Human Rights Commission where their representatives were looking for the Commission’s support in implementing the decision of the Central Jakarta Court to cease illegal seizure of becaks. The arrival of several hundred men from the Forum Betawi Rempug using various weapons and implements on the assembled crowd began the indiscriminant attack on men, women and children. Violent attacks such as these, particularly with rumored links of the Forum Betawi Rempug aggressors to the Governor of Jakarta, are reminiscent of a military state, and are an attack on the democracy that your Government and people are trying to nurture. Such tactics were used in the distant past, but are no longer pursued in Asia, with governments and civil society working to protect democratic rights and justice.  The violent attack was clearly well orchestrated and supported, and thus we are dismayed to find that the Municipality and police have not as yet apprehended and brought to justice those responsible.

Given this failure, we trust that your Excellency’s new democratic Government will recognize the seriousness of such brutal behavior and act to identify and punish those responsible. We implore you to intervene in this serious situation as a matter of urgency in order to signal to the people and the aggressors that Indonesia does not support this form of violence.

Sincerely,

Ms Somsook Boonyabancha
Secretary General
Asian Coalition for Housing Rights

Fax your concern to

 

Previous Postings on Jakarta's Urban Poor on this site

Fact Finding Mission on Jakarta's Poor
Jakarta Governor's Anti-Poor Clean Up
After the Crisis.  by Prof Johan Silas
Vietnam Exchange visit to Surabaya

Urban Poor Consortium Indonesia       Web Site  HERE
UPC  Bacak / Pedi Cab Gallery     HERE

Face to Face
Introduction
Part 1
Part 2 
Part 3