Sunter Residents Who Refuse To Be Evicted

Eviction of the Sunter area, North Jakarta (Photo: DKI Pemprov documentation)

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government evicted a number of wrecked business buildings and residences for residents on Jalan Sunter Agung Perkasa VIII, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, Thursday, November 14.

The victims questioned the promise of DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, who he said would not carry out the eviction.

The residents also claimed that they were Anies' supporters during the 2017 Pilkada.

"We are all supporters of Anies, but why were we evicted? He said there were no evictions during the campaign," said one resident, Subaidah, as reported by Antara, Saturday, November 16.

These evictions led to clashes because residents did not want to leave their homes. A number of residents still survive to this day.

During Anies's leadership, he promised not to carry out the eviction. On Friday January 13 2017, he once said, "We will not eliminate the poor through evictions. We will do a restructuring of the city or tour by renewal."

North Jakarta Mayor Sigit Wijatmoko said that residents had been offered flats in the Marunda area as a replacement, but no one wanted to accept it and chose to stay there.

"We prepared the Marunda flat, but apparently none of them registered, because on average it was only a place of business (in Sunter)," said Sigit at City Hall, Central Jakarta, Monday, November 18.

"They generally return to their (old) residence, are in the mill, are in the Kebon Bawang area. They are in Tanah Abang," he said.

Sigit added that residents who opposed it were not registered in the final election list and did not participate in the 2017 Jakarta Pilkada. said Sigit.

Separately, the head of the PDIP faction at the DPRD DKI Jakarta, Gembong Warsono, said that managing Jakarta would not be possible without eviction. Therefore, if Anies promises not to evict, it is a must. Gembong added that what Anies had promised to the campaign was simply a denial.

"In fact, today Mr. Anies carried out the eviction. What was said during the campaign was only lip service to get the sympathy of the community," said Gembong.

The DKI Provincial Government has conducted socialization on the arrangement of the Sunter area since last September. They have issued a letter of appeal to vacate the location to residents who live without land ownership rights information.

The eviction was carried out because the area would be structured for waterways, pedestrians and road construction.

There are two arrangements made by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, namely the arrangement of the jogging track construction along the South Lake (lake 1) inspection road; along RW 001, 005 & 006

Second, the rearrangement of the channel function which is integrated with Danau Sunter Selatan (lake 2) as a solution in dealing with flood disasters during the rainy season.