TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) considered that Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s style of rule is similar to that of the New Order regime (Orde Baru). “Pak Ahok is a product of reform era who has revived New Order [style of rule],” said LBH public defender, Aldo Felix, in Jakarta Tuesday, May 3, 2016.
LBH made the statement based on Ahok’s policy of forced eviction of Jakarta residents. Aldo said, throughout 2015, Jakarta has seen 113 forced evictions. He claimed that 84 percent of the eviction had been carried out without deliberation with the residents.
Aldo said the involvement of the National Armed Forces (TNI) and police force in ensuring smooth evictions has shown that Ahok has gone back to the New Order’s style of rule. Whereas, the law prohibits TNI from any involvement in eviction, he said. The TNI was even involved from the preparation to the eviction.
For example, before the eviction of Pasar Ikan and Akuarium villages in April, a number of TNI troops had stood guard in the land to be evicted. The TNI and the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) had also entered Pasar Ikan and Akuarium villages the week before eviction. They distributed funds from Islamic Charitable Donations Board (Bazis) to every head of household and put signs at the walls of houses that were about to be evicted.
A representative of Urban Poor Consortium, Gugun Muhammad, considered that Ahok has violated human rights over his forced eviction policy. In addition, the TNI should get back to its original function of maintaining national sovereignty such as in national borders, according to him.
Gugun considered that the TNI’s poor image has not entirely been erased. Particularly the poor image circa 1998 at the end of the New Order regime. The TNI’s involvement in eviction is considered to have also worsen the image.
DANANG FIRMANTO