Houses Demolished by Local Govt, Residents Demand to Meet Jokowi

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - There were approximately 20 residents from Mookervart River in West Jakarta, went to the Jokowi Transition Team’s house on Jalan Situbondo, Central Jakarta. They went there to express their refusal on the demolition of their houses.

“We want Jokowi, who is still the Jakarta governor, to hold a dialogue with the residents,” Ignatius Agung, the rally's coordinator, and also an activist in the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), at the transition house's courtyard, Friday, August 29.

The residents, he said, had been living around that region for dozens of years. They also claimed to possess land certificates and building permits. There were approximately four neighbourhoods around the river, consisting of forty families with the total of around 120 residents. “Ten families have demolished their own houses,” he uttered.

The families were forced to demolish their houses because they were intimidated by the local government and contractors. “There are bulldozers parked around the neighbours.”

They rallied at the transition house, not at the Jakarta Town Hall, because they could not meet with Jokowi there. “We have urged them to let us meet with heads of village, sub-district, and mayor, to no avail,” he said. “We hope we could meet with Jokowi.” The mass then dispersed at around 10:00 local time after conducting one hour of oration.

MUHAMMAD MUHYIDDIN