Winda A. Charmila, Jakarta – Residents of Kapuk Poglar in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, staged a rally in front of City Hall on Tuesday to demand that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan give them legal protection as they are set to be evicted from their homes so that the construction of a police housing complex can take place.
They visited City Hall on April 26 and Feb. 5, but on both days Anies refused to meet with them on the grounds that he did not have authority on the matter.
"The administration is obliged to guarantee the right to adequate housing for its residents and assure no forced evictions are carried out, as mentioned by Anies and his deputy Sandiaga Uno in their political promises," said Jakarta Legal Aid Institute lawyer Nelson Simamora on Tuesday.
The Jakarta Police plans to evict residents of Kapuk Poglar on Thursday to build a police housing complex. They claimed the process was allowed under a land rights certificate they held. However, residents have occupied the land since the 1970s, before the certificate was issued.
The eviction would result in 166 families leaving their homes. The police have summoned 125 residents who have allegedly been occupying the land without permission.