Jakarta evictions and urban planning

[Yappofloyd]

Evictions seem to occur in regular cycles in Jakarta. Every time I visit there seems to be some new round of forced eveictions involving either street traders/stallholders, poor squatters or anyone on the fringe who cannot pay some tea money to the local administration.

However, there appears to be a concerted effort in different areas of the city at the moment to clear out many areas. But without the necessary participation of those affected, alternatives or intergrated planning to ensure that durable solutions can be found for all. Following is a few articles mainly focusing on traders, a couple of other articles focusing on residiential squatters along railways lines in the city can be found on the Railwatch thread.

More talking needed: Urban observers January 18, 2008 Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Every year evictions are carried out in Jakarta in the same way they have been carried out for years. As part of this process, the administration decides to clear an area and sends in public order officers and bulldozers to make sure residents and traders leave. Most of the time the process is far from satisfactory, achieving none of the administration's desired results. The Jakarta Post recently spoke with traders and residents who had experienced being evicted from two areas in the capital.

On Jl. Urip Sumoharjo in East Jakarta, vendors were blamed for causing constant traffic jams. Once they were evicted from the area, the traffic congestion eased slightly. However, eventually many of the evicted residents decided to return to the area, remaining there until this day. On Jl. Pancoran in Glodok, West Jakarta, an eviction a few years ago also proved to be a waste of time, with many vendors continuing to trade in the area.

Two urban observers also shared their opinions on evictions in Jakarta with the Post. Parwoto is a housing and community development specialist at the World Bank and Azas Tigor Nainggolan is the head of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta). While Jakarta is constantly changing, the administration never seems to change its stance on forced evictions. The city is still a long way from embracing participation when it comes to urban development, urban observers say.

Housing and community development specialist with the World Bank, Parwoto, said one of the administration's shortcomings was that it failed to ensure the quality of meetings. He said the administration often invited people claiming to represent market traders to meetings, without involving the majority of traders in the decision-making process. "The psychological aspect is important. Street vendors, for example, are seen as being clueless, so in meetings they are not encouraged to speak," Parwoto said. He said among groups of traders there was usually an elite few who did not represent the interests of their peers.

Parwoto said in many cases, traders or squatters representing the majority could be "bought", after which they would agree on whatever the city or developers wanted. However, he said even the participatory process of involving a group's representatives in the decision-making process was rare in the city. "Last time I attended a meeting with city officials regarding urban development was in 2007. They still had the same perspectives about development," Parwoto said. Separately, Azas Tigor Nainggolan, the head of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta), spoke of similar experiences when dealing with city officials.

"At one stage there were a few mayors who were willing to talk to me. Fakta once spoke with an East Jakarta mayor about improving conditions for sidewalk vendors. The mayor said okay and told me to talk to his subordinates. But the subordinates could not understand what the mayor wanted them to do," Azas said. Due to such misunderstandings, forced evictions occur again and again, he said.

Parwoto said urban development involved many complicated issues, especially when streets or riverbanks were being cleared. Consequently, the participatory process required skilled, independent facilitators to achieve the best results, he added. "This process is faster than forced eviction as it draws less resistance," he said.

As an example, he cited a case in Surakarta, Central Java, where local authorities wanted to evict residents from 47 densely populated villages. "We managed to get residents from one village involved in the participatory process. We held meetings and the residents were willing to take part in new plans for the area," Parwoto said. Residents from the remaining 46 villages are still engaged in an ongoing conflict with the administration, he said. "The participatory process takes time. But it is still often faster than forced eviction, especially when land prices are being negotiated. The process is also more sustainable," Parwoto said.

[Yappofloyd]

Glodok traders search for break, new turf after eviction January 18, 2008 The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dark clouds were rolling in as Arudi finished preparing a bowl of chicken porridge for a customer on Jl. Pancoran in Glodok, West Jakarta. He moved his food cart into the doorway of a shop to avoid the large drops of rain that had started to fall. Pedestrians found it had to pass, as the sidewalk was already filled with fruit and magazine vendors.

For several years, Arudi and dozens of other traders have been forced to sell their goods each day with the threat of their businesses being closed down hanging over their heads. "Business was very sluggish today. I used to make at least Rp 1 million (approximately US$106) a day but now I only earn Rp 100,000 on average," Arudi told The Jakarta Post recently. "I lost many customers after a massive eviction in November 2005," he said.

Arudi said his fortunes started to change only hours after the Idul Fitri prayers in 2005, when a large team of public order and police officers dismantled hundreds of permanent kiosks in an area now used as a parking lot. The administration intentionally chose the holy day to demolish the stalls as most vendors had returned to their hometowns.

After dismantling the stalls, officers guarded the area for a week to prevent vendors returning to reopen their businesses. Shop owners in the area had long been complaining to the administration about the existence of the stalls as they caused chronic traffic congestion and made it harder for customers to see their shops from the street.

Several weeks after the eviction, shop owners began cleaning the area to attract more customers. The administration relocated many of the evicted vendors to traditional markets scattered throughout the municipality, including Jaya Glodok, Mitra Jembatan Lima, Perniagaan, Pluit and Jembatan Dua. Each market was under the supervision of city market operator Pasar Jaya.

The vendors were not required to pay rent for the first six months they occupied their new stalls. The administration only asked them to pay for their own electricity bills. However, many vendors considered this to be a far-from-perfect situation as they preferred trading near Glodok market or Jl. Pancoran.

Arudi turned down an offer from Pasar Jaya to sell chicken porridge at Pluit market, instead opting to pay Rp 450,000 to rent a stall at Glodok market. "But I only stayed there for three days as there were not enough customers. After that I moved to this sidewalk," he said. Sehat, another vendor, said he rejected an offer from Pasar Jaya to run his business out of Glodok market.

"I prefer to sell sunglasses and Chinese New Year products, such as calendars and angpao (small red envelopes), on the sidewalk," he said. He said he had permission from the owner of a secondhand typewriter shop to display his products in the doorway of the store. "I can even store my goods inside his shop," Sehat said, adding that Chinese Indonesian and local traders had maintained a good relationship for years.

According to many traders in the area, the eviction in 2005 did not turn Jl. Pancoran into a more comfortable shopping destination. Jacky, the deputy chairman of Paguyuban Kota Tua (the Old Town Community), said the parking lot inconvenienced shoppers. "The parking lot takes up the entire sidewalk," he said.

Jacky said the community, which also includes vendors, submitted a proposal to the City Transportation Agency for a parking building to be built. "A six-story parking building would be large enough to accommodate the vehicles, while we could reopen our businesses in the parking lot," he said.

The agency is yet to respond to the proposal, Jacky said. He said the proposal formed part of the community's efforts to promote tourism in the Old Town area. "We would like to hold festive events, including a Sunday market and various nighttime events to attract tourists." (ewd)

[Yappofloyd]

Vendors become victims of changing times in Jakarta January 18, 2008 The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The sight of Jl. Urip Sumoharjo in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, being busy is a distant memory to 41-year-old middleman Kardin Yala. "It was better in the Soeharto days. Making money was not this hard," he said while sitting on a small plastic chair on a Saturday afternoon. Kardin, who has been working in the area since 1978, is just one of a dying breed of street traders continuing to sell their goods along the Jatinegara strip, which was once known as a bustling shopping area.

Low and middle-income families once traveled to the area to buy reasonably priced goods, ranging from used radios to snakes. "Most of them have left now, probably to shop somewhere else," said Kardin, who sold used electronic goods before becoming a middleman between customers and vendors.

Before a massive raid in October 2006, many vendors in the area had their stalls set up on the street, causing heavy traffic jams. During the raid, hundreds of stalls were closed down, with a wide array of goods confiscated. While many vendors moved away from the area, some of them, including Kardin, decided to return. Kardin said similar operations had occurred in the past, although he could not recall when. "It seemed to happen everyday back then, but we could bribe the officers. Then they stopped taking bribes and ordered us to move our stalls back toward the sidewalk," he said, adding that those who fought back often had their goods destroyed or confiscated.

Today, with fewer vendors on Jl. Urip Sumoharjo, the area is considerably cleaner and traffic congestion has decreased. The remaining vendors sell their wares on the sidewalk under small tarps, forming a line of small open-air shops. Many of the vendors sell mobile phones, with others selling clothes, clocks, ashtrays and fishing equipment. However, customers stopped visiting the stalls regularly when the area was reorganized, Kardin said. "I would usually have made Rp 200,000 (approximately US$21) to 300,000 by noon, but I haven't had a single customer yet today," he said.

Mul Riyadi, who sells mobile phones in the area, said his profits had also decreased significantly since the raid in 2006. "All I do now is wait for my regular customers, because I just haven't been getting any new ones," Mul said, adding that he still had to hide his goods from corrupt officers seeking "security fees". "If this keeps going on, that's it, they've won, they've finally got rid of us from this place," he said. Mul said he felt the city administration could have provided more for the vendors. "If they really wanted to share their profits with us, they could have made this place into a more tourist-friendly spot," he said.

Azas Tigor Nainggolan, the head of the Jakarta Residents Forum, said city officials were not interested in empowering the traders. "If city officials wanted to relocate them, they should have provided a proper shopping area for them," he said, adding that city officials rarely prevented vendors from operating their businesses in public places.

"These vendors pay fees to a certain mass organization, in which some low-ranking city officials are involved. Each day vendors have to pay, on average, between Rp 10,000 and Rp 20,000," he said. Azas said city officials usually allow vendors to operate their businesses on public land if they pay "fees", but they are quickly evicted if an order to do so is issued. (anw)

[Yappofloyd]

A classic clash of historically poor planning and decision making made behind closed doors. I wonder if the Thai flowers sellers near Memorial Bridge would get a better run offering flowers if the BMA ever decided to clear the street?

Flower power wilts thanks to city's deaf ears Opinion and Editorial - January 21, 2008 Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post

The Jakarta administration found an unusual enemy in the eviction of the Barito area flower and fish traders. In contrast to the city's previous evicted citizens, these traders fought in style. On eviction day, early Friday morning, women held out flowers to some 850 public order officers, who dismissed the gesture and went on to kick the kiosks down to demolish them.

Before the dramatic eviction day, the traders had battled with roses and a thoughtful design for the area's revitalization that included a financial plan for the park. The design, by a professional architecture firm, sounded workable and interesting: a nicely planned space where visitors could see various flowers and fish, and where children could enjoy an educational playground.

In contrast, the city's design for the park lacked imagination. The head of the park agency Sarwo Handayani revealed the park would have green, open space and a lake. There would be no building of any kind, she said. The traders managed to gain support from various figures, including culinary-cum-tourism celebrity Bondan Winarno. Bondan backed them with a reference from abroad, pointing out flower markets in cities like Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Singapore were major international tourist destinations. So why couldn't Jakarta have one too, he asked.

The traders also received support from the Indonesia Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, the National Commission for Human Rights and several students, who resisted with them up to eviction day. In their plan, traders promised to finance the park's revitalization themselves, saying they had secured a bank's commitment for a loan of Rp 7 billion to remodel the park.

The city, and the public, could benefit from the traders' plan. First, the traders' proposal would not consume city funds for design, construction and maintenance. Second, the city would have a lively flower market that could attract tourists from outside Jakarta and contribute to city's tax income.

Third, experiences from all over the world have shown community-based development to be much more sustainable and less costly than top-down approaches. Common sense would say there was no reason for city and South Jakarta administrations not to, at the very least, sit and talk with the traders. Yet, they didn't. "End of discussion. Traders on Barito Street have occupied the area for more than 30 years illegally. It is time for them to leave," was the reply of Deputy Governor Prijanto a day after the traders revealed their proposal.

Prijanto's curt reply shows the city has no respect for history and the social importance of the flower and fish market. And while it is true the traders ran their businesses without business permits, this does not mean they deserved to be kicked out without discussion.

Moreover, the word "illegal" used by the administration is inaccurate. The flower and fish traders had been registered with the municipality's small- and medium-scale enterprise agency. The use of the word "illegal" suggests the city's lack of convincing arguments for eviction.

In addition, the market had served the city, including the high-profile citizens like the presidents, for decades. It had not only flower and fish traders but skilled, award-winning florists. The traders ran enterprises registered to the municipality itself. On top of that, they were not parasites living on somebody else's property, but members of the community who contributed to it.

They made the park, neglected by the city for years, a functioning space which they were willing to develop and sustain. The manner in which the administration dismissed discussion and demolished the stalls was anti-democratic.

It's worth noting, too, this anti-democratic act was carried out by an administration under a democratically elected leader. While Governor Fauzi Bowo might argue the eviction was already concocted before his term, it's still worth asking why he didn't do anything to stop the forced eviction and push the South Jakarta municipality to make park revitalization a joint project with the community. Instead, he chose only to sit back and watch while his subordinates answered flowers with sticks.

[Yappofloyd]

Community-based green areas needed, say NGOs Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, 24/01/08

In response to the administration's plan to evict thousands of residents in 2008 to make way for green areas, organizations have offered a community-based approach in revitalizing green areas. The organizations said they believed that the concept would benefit the city, the communities and the public. "The city could save some budget money for revitalization and maintenance, while it would still get the green areas," Nurkholis Hidaya from Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) told a press conference Wednesday.

Nurkholis said that in the draft of the city budget, the institute noted that during 2008 the city planned to evict 16 communities to get 55,540 square meters of green areas. The fund for the evictions and revitalization is set at Rp 27.3 billion. The series of evictions is another phase in the administration's plan to increase the city's existing green area, 9.6 percent of its total 9,156 hectares, to 13.9 percent by 2010.

Among the 16 communities to be moved are the fish and flower traders on Jl. Barito, who were evicted on Jan. 18. The next community to be evicted is ceramics and rattan traders in Rawasari, Central Jakarta. Vendors in Rawasari got their eviction orders on Wednesday.

LBH Jakarta and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), which helped Barito fish and flower sellers protest against the move, said communities in Jakarta were smart. They had the capacity to offer solutions to the city's problems, if the city administration allowed them, the groups said. "We work with at least two architecture firms, which support community-based design. For Barito, the YP+A firm had designed a lively hybrid park," Nurkholis said. He said it was unfortunate the administration had decided to its own design, despite praising the one proposed by the vendors.

Selamet Daroyni from Walhi said the city's plan to evict thousands was unfair and showed the city did not have the courage to shut down the malls and hotels sitting on formerly green areas and instead preferred to tackle the powerless. "Jakarta's green areas have dwindled from 37.2 percent in 1965 to 6.2 percent in 2007, largely thanks to the developments of large commercial buildings like malls and hotels," Selamet said in the conference. "The communities only use a small percentage the green areas, about 10 percent, probably," he added. "Therefore, we think the city's attempt to evict these communities won't touch the source of Jakarta's environmental problems."

[Yappofloyd]

Vendors stand their ground near bypass The Jakarta Post, 30/01/08

While many rattan vendors have dismantled their stalls under the Ahmad Yani bypass in Central Jakarta, dozens of ceramics vendors continue to defy a city administration eviction order. Ceramics vendor Ambet Narapnarap said he was worried about the eviction notice but was happy customers were still visiting his stall. "I am not sure what I will do if the officials demolish my stall," he said.

After receiving warning letters on Jan. 14 and 21 from the Cempaka Putih administration, Ambet and several other ceramics vendors traveled to City Hall last Tuesday to demand a meeting with the Central Jakarta administration. "But we are yet to receive any information about the meeting," he said, adding that the municipality promised the vendors they would not be evicted until the meeting was held.

He said the vendors wanted to negotiate the amount of compensation they would receive as well as discussing relocation plans. "All we want is to sit down together and talk about the eviction plan," said Ambet, who has been running his business under the bypass for 30 years. Rattan sellers under the bypass did not complain after receiving eviction notices and compensation payments last Friday.

On Friday, 22 vendors dismantled their makeshift kiosks on Jl. Rawasari in Cempaka Putih. Only seven kiosks were left Monday. Baban, a rattan vendor, said he decided to dismantle his 5x10 meter kiosk after receiving Rp 5 million in compensation (approximately US$530). "What's the use of complaining? We don't want to create any commotion," he said.

He said he was sad knowing he would no longer run a business in the area. He said he would also miss his friends, who planned to return to their hometowns. "Business was good due to our strategic location here." Baban said he planned to set up a rattan kiosk in Pondok Gede, Bekasi, when he finished dismantling his plywood stall. "But I don't know where the other vendors will reopen their businesses," the 32-year old said.

Aside from evicting 29 rattan vendors and 86 ceramics vendors, the municipality also plans to evict residents from 57 homes in the area so as a city park can be built. The plan forms part of the city administration's plan to create more green areas in Jakarta.

The head of the municipality's parks subagency, Catharina Suryowati, said her office had not decided on the date for the eviction. "We are still discussing the issue with officials from the municipality, the Cempaka Putih district and the public order subagency," she said. (ewd)

[Yappofloyd]

The City continues to clear out various areas of stallholders to establish parks. It will be interesting to see of the cleared areas stay that way in the year to come, particularly if the City is not offering suitable alternatives.

Rawasari vendors vow to maintain struggle City News - February 11, 2008 The Jakarta Post
Anton is normally not so generous, but Saturday was not a normal day for the owner of a ceramics kiosk in Rawasari, Central Jakarta. Faced with the threat of eviction by the city, Anton was eager to unload all of her merchandise. This was good news for customers, who were able to secure better than normal prices. She sold one large vase for Rp 250,000 (US$27), agreeing to lower the price from its usual Rp 300,000.

Besides slashing prices, she is also keeping her kiosk open all day and night Saturday. "I have discounted all of my ceramics. I'm also not closing my kiosk today, so buyers can come anytime they want," said Anton. "I hope I can sell all of my merchandise. My business is in danger because the city is going to evict the ceramics vendors." She is just one of 86 ceramics vendors in the location. The city plans to clear out 57 houses, 29 rattan kiosks and the ceramic kiosks this week, to make way for a park.

These are just the latest evictions as the administration pursues its goal of having at least 13.9 percent of the city's total area be green zones by 2010, from 9.6 percent currently. The demolition of the kiosks in Rawasari is one of 16 such evictions planned for 2008, with the goal to clear 55,540 square meters of land for green areas.

In Rawasari, some of the rattan vendors have moved from the area, but the ceramics sellers have decided to stay on. "We have been selling ceramics for at least 30 years. We arrived when the area was still a swamp and we turned it into a business location," said Anton. "The government doesn't think about our business. We make money honestly, so why do they want to evict us? What about my seven employees? They have families to support." The ceramics vendors and their lawyer, Parulian Hutajulu, went to the office of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party on Jl. Pemuda in East Jakarta on Saturday to seek support in fighting the eviction plan.

Around 100 ceramics sellers and Rawasari residents walked to the party's office, blocking the road for several hours. Parulian said he and the vendors would seek support from any party or organization they could. "We will keep on fighting. The vendors have the right to their businesses. If the municipality wants to evict them, it should relocate them and give them proper compensation," he said.

The Jakarta City Council member leading the mediation between the vendors and the administration, Syamsidar Siregar, said Friday the city had provided two alternative locations for the vendors -- Johor Baru and Kampong Waduk Melati in Central Jakarta. He said the vendors refused to move to the new sites because they did not think the kiosks were a fit for their business.

Syamsidar said the municipality offered 2-by-2-meter kiosks for vendors and compensation of between Rp 5 million and Rp 10 million per affected family. "We refused to move to the new locations because the kiosks are improper. They are too small. A 2-by-2-meter kiosk can't accommodate all of my hundreds of pieces of ceramic," said Anton. Another vendor, Rusmida, said the compensation was also insufficient. "For me, the amount is too small. It's not equal with our 30 years of hard work. We want more than that. We deserve more than Rp 50 million," said Rusmida. (trw)

[Yappofloyd]

Some consultation it seem but only for residents and not NGOs or community groups. And your safe if you built a shopping mall on a designated green area but too bad if your a struggling trader.

Residents left out in the blue on city greening February 09, 2008 Mustaqim Adamrah and Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post

Responding to proposals from organizations and individuals seeking greater involvement in developing Jakarta's green areas, Governor Fauzi Bowo said the city would only involve residents in the creation of new parks. "What I promised to Jakartans during my campaign was that I would involve them when I plan to establish a park on vacant land. It's called an interactive park," the governor told The Jakarta Post at the City Hall. "I evicted the traders from Barito market because they were occupying the land illegally. That land was a green space when I was a kid until they took it over," he said.

During his campaign, Fauzi highlighted the importance of "participatory development", in which each community is involved in developments in their area. Days after being officially named the governor-elect in late September last year, Fauzi said he would focus on revitalizing the city's slum areas in the first three months of his term. Fauzi told reporters he planned to ask the private sector to help finance the revitalization projects, to reduce the burden on the city budget. "We will ask non-governmental institutions to participate in this program," he said in September.

Three months have passed and Fauzi's administration has yet to begin any slum revitalization projects. The city has evicted several communities of riverbank squatters in West Jakarta, and the flower and fish vendors at Barito market in South Jakarta. Administration officials say the evictions in Barito are the first of 16 such evictions planned for 2008, with the goal to clear 55,540 square meters of land for green areas.

The administration hopes to have 13.9 percent of the city's total area be green zones by 2010, from 9.6 percent currently. Next up for eviction are hundreds of rattan and ceramics traders, as well as 57 households, occupying a plot of land in Rawasari, Central Jakarta.

The administration issued the eviction orders and originally planned to clear the area on Jan. 26. However, a meeting between the traders and the City Council on Jan. 23 resulted in the traders being given a week's grace period from the administration. "I asked the city not to rush. Don't repeat what happened in Barito. Talk with us, sit down together. If this country's top officials can sit and talk with alleged corruptors, why can't they sit and talk with us?" a lawyer for the traders, Parulian Hutajulu, told the Post.

However, a week after the end of the grace period and the city has yet to arrange any meetings with the traders and residents, although it is also yet to carry out the evictions. "We're still waiting for the city's invitation to discuss the matter. At least give my clients an alternative place to run their businesses," Parulian said. He said his clients would organize a protest if they were not given the chance to meet with officials.

Parulian said some of clients had been living and working in Rawasari for at least 30 years, arriving when the area was still a swamp. "They filled the swamp, they made it into a business location with their own sweat. They invested a lot in turning the swamp into a productive area. The city should not rush into evicting them without any ideas for them and their future," he said.

Organizations like the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) have criticized the city administration for evicting small traders while turning a blind eye to big businesses that occupy former green areas. "Hotels and malls in Senayan, for example, occupy designated green areas," Selamet Dayroni, the executive director of the Jakarta office of Walhi, said. "To address Jakarta's green area problem, the city should also evict these businesses. Don't single out powerless people," he said. In response to the criticism, Fauzi said evicting big hotels and malls was impractical. "Would it be realistic (to demolish shopping centers and hotels) to restore green spaces?" he told the Post.

Community organizations seek to participate February 09, 2008 Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post
With the assistance of several community-based organizations, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) has prepared a policy paper to support a participatory approach for the development of community-based green areas. The proposal argues that the participatory approach is more efficient and humane compared to the city administration's top-down approach."Greater efficiency is the key benefit of the participatory approach," said LBH representative Nurkholis Hidaya.

The LBH policy paper on open and participatory development in expanding green areas compares the advantages of using the administration's current approach and the participatory approach promoted by the community. The paper argues the administration is currently paying approximately Rp 6.7 billion (US$670,000) from the city budget to pursue its agenda. Using the alternative participatory approach, the administration would only need to pay Rp 2.5 billion for the same benefits. The paper claims this would be attributed to a more efficient use of community resources (see table).

"The administration could save time as well as money using this approach," said Nurkholis. "The concept will cut red tape, therefore, it will hasten the process of the development." The policy paper says key areas of enhanced budget efficiency resulting from the participatory approach will be maintenance and security. "Involving communities could allow the administration to reduce the maintenance and security budget as communities would take responsibility for these functions," Nurkholis said.

To prepare the policy paper, the LBH cooperated with several organizations which have a track record in assisting poor communities across the capital. These include Urban Poor Consortium (UPV) and Jakarta's Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi). Previously, Selamet Daryoni of Walhi said the communities most often subject to evictions had the capacity to contribute and be involved in the development process.

"The key is to give them access to information and allow them to participate," said Nurkholis. "The openness of the participatory approach would generate a lot of smart ideas from the communities." He said the communities would often be willing to financially invest in development projects if they could clearly see how the development would benefit them. "I'm sure they are ready to cooperate if the administration opens access to information," he said.

[Yappofloyd]

Ex-Barito vendors begin businesses anew after eviction Agnes Winarti , The Jakarta Post 15/03/08
After their eviction in January from Jl. Barito in South Jakarta, flower and fish vendors have moved to several new locations around the municipality, striving to maintain their hard-earned business success. Florist Achya, 54, and four other flower vendors have rented a 350-square-meter house on Jl. KH. Ahmad Dahlan which they have divided into five kiosks. They spent some Rp 150 million on rent and renovations, Achya said. "Our sales are still 60 percent of our previous earnings in Barito, but I am glad that around 75 percent of our old customers know our new place," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday at his new stall.

Achya had run his business for 25 years on Jl. Barito before being evicted. "The good thing is, this place isn't far from our old place. We have gained some new customers, but not many," said Achya, whose two children's university education was paid for with money from the flower business. Another florist, Tedy, 44, who has carried on his mother's florist business for 12 years now, has a new location on Jl. Raya Margaguna near South Jakarta's Pondok Indah Mall. He is managing an 850-square-meter exhibition area for 35 florists and 15 fish vendors -- colleagues from Barito.

Unlike Achya, around 75 percent of Tedy's consumers are new. "At least 30 new regular customers come here, especially on weekends," Teddy said, adding that on weekends the exhibition area would sometimes stay open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. "We don't have to pay rent here, but share electricity and cleaning costs. Each of us paid Rp 2 million for renovations," he said. There were a total 51 florists and 54 fish vendors evicted from Jl. Barito. Aside from those who have moved their businesses to these two locations, several florists have temporarily moved to a residential area on Jl. Ragatnata.

Unable to find new places, many vendors eventually accepted the 2-by-2-square meter kiosks near the Radio Dalam traditional market, offered by the city administration. "Around 80 percent of the fish vendors, who didn't have enough money to pay rent, eventually chose to move to the kiosks, after a month of uncertainty when they were evicted," said Erwin, a coordinator of the ex-Barito fish vendors at Radio Dalam traditional market. Some 53 spaces were made available for fish vendors and 51 for florists, he said.

Each vendor must pay around Rp 1.3 million to market operator PD Pasar Jaya for an occupancy certificate, valid for 20 years. During the Post's visit to Radio Dalam market midday Thursday, many fish vendors were open for business, but there were very few customers around. Only around half the kiosks designated for florists were occupied, mostly by attendants claiming to work for the real owners who were nowhere to be seen.

Despite low sales, difficult access and heavy traffic at the Radio Dalam site, Erwin, who said his sales had plunged by 75 percent, was still optimistic about business. "All we need now are more road signs and banners telling customers about our new location." For the time being, Erwin is selling only fish food, to cut his losses. Another fish vendor at Radio Dalam, Nano, said most of his customers only came to buy fish food. "I took part in an 11-day fish exhibition at a mall in Depok, but it did not go well. It was not the right market, so I decided to follow other vendors and open a kiosk here."

[Yappofloyd]

Life goes on as trains pass by 06/19/08 Jakarta Post
The sound of the train's whistle and wheels, and the shaking of the ground every time it passes by are not problems for Jakartans living on railway banks.

They have bigger problems in life: what to eat today; how to make money to buy clean water; how their children will receive an education.

The area along the railway in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, is no place for a proper living.

But Jakarta has limited options for people with no money. They scatter in places prone to floods, accidents and disease.

Evictions are also a continual looming threat for them.

Nevertheless, behind the towering buildings and amid the hustle and bustle of this megacity, these people strive to live on. The children grow and play on these banks as well, watching the trains come and go. -Photos by J. Adiguna

Photo A: Railways

BEHIND CITY TOWERS: Children living on the railway banks in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, play in front of their homes.

Photo B: Boy MEAL WITH A VIEW: A boy holds his meal in front of his home as a train passes by.

Photo C: Tanah Abang

TIRING WORK: A man pulls a cart loaded with used car tires. A number of people residing on the Tanah Abang railway banks make a living from collecting and selling used tires.

Photo D: Tailor

TAILOR ON WHEELS: A mobile jeans tailor passes a densely populated railway bank in the area.

Photo E: Banks

PLAYING BY THE TRACKS: A boy hangs out on the railway banks nearby his home. The banks are not a safe place for kids to play.

[Yappofloyd]

Evicted from park, now on the tracks by Triwik Kurniasari and Maulina Sartika Pravitasari , The Jakarta Post 29/08/08
Dozens of illegal squatters continue to reside in the BMW Park in North Jakarta, setting up tents along railway tracks near the site. Nazar, 67, was busy erecting a makeshift hut from bamboo on the railway tracks connecting Kota station in West Jakarta with Tanjung Priok station in North Jakarta.

"There's nothing left for me now. My wife and I are just trying to hold on, given the present situation. We decided to set up a tent on the tracks because we don't know where else to go," Nazar told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. "I just hope the city administration allows us to stay here because renting a house is too expensive," he said, adding he was unemployed, while his wife works as a used clothing vendor.

Public order officers from North Jakarta administration evicted about 4,000 illegal squatters Sunday who had been staying in the Bersih, Manusiawi dan Berwibawa (Clean, Humane and Esteemed) or "BMW" park.

Most of the squatters are employed as gardeners, factory workers, with some living off the sale of recycled trash. The eviction turned into a melee as many squatters resisted officers, burning tires and hurling stones. The officers, supported by police and the military, were undeterred, moving forward with heavy equipment and bulldozing houses illegally erected in the park, with the police battling protesting squatters.

Many public order officials and squatters were injured during the clash, while 10 individuals were arrested. Illegal squatters began occupying BMW Park, locally known as Kampung Bayam (Spinach Kampung), in the early 1990s after undergrowth was cleared on the site, making way for planted vegetables in the vacant lot.

It is the second largest park in the city, after the 80-hectare Monas Park in Central Jakarta, and was built during the administration of governor Wiyogo Atmodarminto (1987-1992). The administration had plans to restore the 66-hectare park as part of an effort to add a total of 55,540 square meters to the city's green areas. However, that plan changed when the city announced it would instead build an international sports stadium on the site.

Deputy Governor Prijanto said at City Hall recently the administration would provide vehicles to escort squatters back to their hometowns. "We can provide vehicles to squatters who are not originally from Cirebon (in West Java), for example. We will not provide them with any compensation, because they have illegally occupied the city administration's land," Prijanto said.

In response to the deputy governor's statement, many squatters announced they would refuse to return to their hometowns, preferring to make a living in the capital. "I've worked as a housekeeper in Jakarta for years. What am I supposed to do back in Kuningan (in West Java)?" said one squatter, Cuhayati, who continues to make his home amid the debris-strewn park.

[Yappofloyd]

I love the symbolism...evicting squatters from BMW park.

NGO urges a humane eviction of 24,000 squatters in North Jakarta The Jakarta Post 19/09/2008
If the city administration has its way, 24,000 families in North Jakarta will lose their homes in the near future, People Demand Housing Rights (Mantap) said Thursday. "Numerous families will be evicted this year to make way for green areas," said Deny from Mantap, which is counseling residents of the 22 affected communities stretching from Ancol to Kelapa Gading. The administration has planned to clear squats under it's greening and flood control programs. The areas to be cleared are the BMW park, Pluit Dam and the area along Jl. Artha Gading.

On Aug. 24, municipal public order officers evicted 1,400 families squatting in BMW Park, a site originally designated as a green area during the city's "Clean (Bersih), Humane (Manusiawi), Esteemed (Wibawa)" program. The BMW park eviction turned into a melee with scores of public order officials and squatters being injured. Ten people were arrested. The city now plans to build an international soccer stadium there. A competition for the best stadium design was launched on Aug. 26.

Some 200 of those families still refuse to leave. They have built up makeshift shelters in the park and along the nearby railway tracks to replace the homes the administration tore down. "We are going to stay here until the mayor listens to our demands," the evicted squatters said at a meeting Thursday. The residents are demanding more time to seek a compromise with the municipal administration or find another location to live and work in. They have taken their demands to the National Committee on Human Rights, the House of Representatives and the North Jakarta municipality office.

Meanwhile, Mantap demands a more humane approach. "They know that they're squatters, but the eviction process should be more humane," Deny said. A North Jakarta official said Pluit Dam, the most populated area with 9,000 families, would be cleared to make way for green areas designed to absorb rainfall and prevent the chronic flooding characteristic of that area of North Jakarta. The 1,000 families currently living in the area around Jl. Artha Gading will also be evicted by the construction of a flood-control dam.

Data from Mantap shows that the areas earmarked for eviction also include Tanah Merah Plumpang, Tanah Kampung Sawah, the area behind the Islamic Center, Kampung Banda, Kampung Sepat, the TPI Marunda area, Bongkaran, Kebon Pisang, disputed BPPN disputed, West Semper, Kampung Grandong, the Penjaringan area, upper and lower Da'o, and alongside the railway tracks in West Pademangan totaling around 230 hectares. (fmb)