Besides the politicized accusation of blasphemy against former Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, many said the capital’s previous leader was deeply unpopular amongst the capital’s poorest citizens due to his relentless policy of evicting slum dwellers judged to be living illegally on government property, especially those settlements located along waterways that Ahok’s administration argued were worsening flood conditions. Many activists argued Ahok’s evictions were done illegally and inhumanely.
Current Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan strongly criticized Ahok’s eviction policies as well, and his Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno promised, “Anies and I will not evict residents forcefully from their homes. We’ll sit together to hear what solutions they want the most. No more tears.”
Welp, yesterday the Central Jakarta Government evicted the resident of numerous illegal buildings around West Flood Canal on Jalan Tenaga Listrik in Tanah Abang, on the familiar grounds that the slums were impeding flood prevention efforts.
Some of the evicted residents couldn’t help but express their disappointment towards the new administration, given their anti-eviction rhetoric during the campaign.
“(That’s why) we chose him instead Ahok,” Siti, a 36-year-old woman who claimed to have lived in the area since childhood and worked as a scavenger, told Tempo.
Siti said she had voted for Anies-Sandi because she hoped they would not evict the poor without giving them some other solution.
Another evictee, a 51-year-old woman named Mariana, said she would have to sleep in an improvised tent tonight since she had no other options.
In total, the residents of some 101 illegal dwelling were evicted. The government said they had given them an eviction notice and socialized the news one week previously. Unlike some of the evictions under Ahok and previous administrations, there was no organized resistance or violence.
Sandiaga justified the evictions on several grounds today, saying that, in addition to flood concerns, the slum dwellings were relatively new and did not have businesses registered with the local government. He also said that the area was known as a hotbed of prostitution.
Governor Anies did reverse another eviction action by Ahok’s administration by allowing residents of evicted slums in Kampung Aquarium in North Jakarta to remain in the area and even promised to build temporary shelters for them.
Many of the people evicted from slums in Pasar Ikan, North Jakarta, started returning to the area soon after Anies’ election victory, convinced that they will not face eviction again under the new administration.
In addition to the West Flood Canal evictees, officials from both hardline Islamist organizations and workers unions have said they feel were used by Anies just to win the election due to the new governor’s actions since taking office.
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