Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JAKARTA9
2008-01-02 10:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

LAND EVICTIONS SPARK HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS

Tags:  PGOV PINS PHUM ID 
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VZCZCXRO3059
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0009/01 0021030
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 021030Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7539
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1375
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2211
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1832
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1505
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000009 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/AWH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PINS PHUM ID
SUBJECT: LAND EVICTIONS SPARK HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000009

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/AWH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PINS PHUM ID
SUBJECT: LAND EVICTIONS SPARK HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Jakarta provincial government has
evicted thousands of urban poor from squatter settlements in
recent months. Those evicted have held rallies and human
rights groups have complained, charging that authorities are
acting with force and not offering appropriate compensation.
The treatment of the squatters is providing political fodder
to anti-GOI politicians looking ahead to elections in 2009.
END SUMMARY.


2. (U) EVICTIONS: Land evictions remain an ongoing
phenomenon in Jakarta. The largest recent case involved the
administration's eviction of thousands of squatters living
under the North Jakarta turnpike in August. The evictions
took place after fires from some of the settlements released
smoke and disturbed transport on the road. Human rights
groups estimate that 8000 families were forcibly evicted in
sweeps by police during this timeframe. Human rights
contacts tell us that 5000 of these families received some
compensation and have since moved on, while the remaining
3000 rejected compensation. There were several other
instances of large-scale evictions in 2007, impacting
thousands of squatters. Some of those who have been evicted
have participated in large rallies.


3. (SBU) A CONTINUING DEBATE: There has been an ongoing
debate in Jakarta about the policy of evictions. Authorities
argue that the evictions are of squatters on public and
private land that is needed for development or for other
purposes. Migrants and other urban poor have no legal right
to the land and need to be moved, but--the authorities
concede--there has to be some form of compensation. The
administration has also argued that the settlements are
unsanitary and pose a health hazard for other city residents.
In 2007, in fact, Jakarta's administration reinforced the
legal basis for such evictions with a revised public order
law (Bylaw 8 of 2007),which directly prohibits vendors and
squatters from operating and living on public property, and
mandates their removal.


4. (SBU) On the other hand, Indonesian human rights groups
claim that evictions amount to violating people's rights to
housing, earn a livelihood, and school. According to
contacts, excessive force is sometimes used to conduct the
evictions, and the government often fails to provide
assistance to the displaced. In addition, the compensation
offered by the government is often wholly inadequate.


5. (SBU) Human rights groups are increasingly taking
eviction cases to the courts. The Urban Poor Consortium
filed a class action suit on behalf of the thousands of
families formerly living under the North Jakarta turnpike,
and according to Consortium representative Edi Saidi, the
case awaits a hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court.
On a national level, Ifdal Khasim of the Human Rights
Commission, an independent body, has acknowledged that
evictions represent a key issue that needs to be addressed as
an urgent human rights matter.


6. (C) A POLITICAL ISSUE: Political parties are using the
eviction issue as leverage to criticize the government. The
Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P),a party which
often employs populist, leftist-type rhetoric, has heavily
criticized the Jakarta government for proceeding with the
evictions and the Indonesian government for not stopping
them. PDI-P legislators, for example, have accused the GOI
of being "anti-poor" and "working to help the rich" through
the evictions. Alvin Lee, a member of the national
legislature, has told us that the evictions are important
politically because the squatters number in the tens of
thousands in big cities in Indonesia and represent a
considerable "vote bank" for politicians. He predicted that
the PDI-P could gain "many, many" new supporters if the pace
of evictions continues.


7. (C) A PROBLEM THAT WON'T GO AWAY: There is little sign
that forcible evictions will end any time soon. Tens of
thousands of migrants enter Jakarta's metropolitan area every
year to join the urban poor, and there is little by way of
affordable housing, so people squat. Jakarta, as a
developing city, needs the space and the authorities turn to
evictions. There is little doubt that the evictions could be

JAKARTA 00000009 002 OF 002


done in a more humane manner and that more compensation
should be offered to the very poor. In the meantime,
political parties will continue to make the evictions an
issue, flagging them as part of what they characterize as the
GOI's "anti-poor" agenda.

HUME