[sustran] Jakarta Issue -State viol;ence on the poor

[kisan mehta]

Dear Paul (Barter). Paul (Butarbutar), Hyowoo Na
and our Sustran friends,

Paul Butarbutar has asked our Paul whether the Sustran has tried to find out
reasons from the  authorities for violence and
inhuman treatment meted out to the poor citizens,
becab drivers, other service providers and householders.

I am sure the authorities would not  justify their
actions against such a large section of
the society.  No officer including the highest in
power would share their reasoning.  The
authorities have never felt obliged to share their reasons for inhuman
treatment.  They persist in their violence on the
poor.  It has not been
the practice even in the democracies to be accountable to citizens.    The
fact still remains
that state violence to people continues.  If Paul
Butarbutar feels hopeful of getting the official
side of the matter, he should approach the
authorities for their reasons.

It is painful to see the people in power using, rather misusing,  public
machinery to suppress poorer
sections of the society.  Though it appears on the
face that violence is
being perpetrated on the becab drivers and other
low cost amenity and service providers, it is
directed against the whole community using and
depending on this affordable means of transport
and which cannot pay the cost of taxies or
higher transport modes.

Statistics provided by our friends of the poor losing their only means of
livelihood and thus facing
deaths by starvation , larger section using these affordable facilities are
not taken into consideration which would end up in millions.

CASUALTIES OF STATE VIOLENCE AGAINST
THE URBAN POOR OF JAKARTA
>
> 1. Confiscated becak
> Total number who lost jobs        8,999
This means that 8999 people lost their jobs and
equal number of families lost their (only) earnings.
>
Food vendors (evicted, demolished) 71.857
Car wash service (demolished)               40
Houses (demolished)                         1.010
Total number of people lost jobs       72.907

Urban poor arrested/detained Total 3.293

 Houses demolished 1.010

This is in fact a class war perpetrated by the few `haves' against the large
number of `have nots'

The reasons probably lie in the government desire
to conform to the conditionalities of the multilateral agencies placed on
borrowers, everywhere in the borrowing countries.

India has surrendered to the WB/IMF dictats
that require borrowers to create and provide
infrastructure for globalisation and free market access.   Though the World
Bank has not sanctioned  any project for assistance in last few years, and
has stopped considering any following the US direction to these multilateral
agencies, yet it has been indirectily pressurising the Indian government to
provide road network for linking metropolitan cities of the country. This
network would cost more than double of the annual budget of the Central
Government.  Many more
urgent programmes are not being taken up for the financial difficulties.
Hundreds of citizens are
dyeing due to starvation and water shortage. The Prime Minister of India
stated a couple of days
ago that info on starvation deaths has been
created and inflated by the media and voluntary
organisations.   The fact remains that deaths
flashed in the press did take place, the Supreme
Court of India is already considering Public
Interest Litigation Writ against the state and that
food in  government warehouses is roting as the
poor cannot buy at constantly increasing prices.

For the poor (so called developing) countries
the WB is godsend which cannot be flouted.

Is there no way to get the government to
understand the difficulties of the poor and take measures that do not
deprive poor commuters as
well of their only means of transport? Some times when the executives
do not understand and do not hid to the natural, one can go to the legal
courts. It is not a case of an  individual but
a large section of the community being put to hardship. This would justify
taking up
what is known as Public Interest Litigation.
Pedicabs users and poor service consumers are another section
which suffers due to taking away of an affordable
mode of transport already available for decades.
Many nations have set up Human Rights Commission  where citizens can go.
Probably independent human rights commissions can be persuaded to take
interest.

If the state is following WB/IMF dictats, the
response would be difficult to obtain however all
these means need to be considered.  Number of people suffering and deprived
of any means for survival has substantially increased to take up
matters at international levels if local remedies
are not forthcoming.   The WB can also be approached. Our experience is that
the WB and
others find it embarrassing if correct situation is
placed before them and the public.  They do not
like to be
exposed in the world as creating such situation.
Our experience in approaching the WB President  directly is not bad.

The Constitution of India assures a number of fundamental rights including
right to life.  Our
Law Courts have interpreted that the state
has the duty to provide means for life including
shelter. The WB has now included resettlement
and rehabilitation as an essential component in
every project where ousting from traditional
house becomes unavoidable for implementing
a development project.

Slums had come up in very close proximity of
the suburban railway tracks such that trains were
unduly delayed.  The Court directed the Railways
to remove slums from their property.  The state is
now providing shelter where likely oustees would
be rehabilitated.  Hawkers and peddlers removed
from particular location are being provided
alternate hawking sites.  New sites have become
more popular as they are systematically laid out.
Voluntary organisations should go into these possibilities for the victims.
Number of people
affected by any standard is large and frightening.
Consumers of these amenities losing such facilities
would run into millions.  All can approach higher authorities and resort to
the Law Courts.

Our deepest sympathies for the people being
deprived of their only means of survival and
shelter and course of larger section of
citizenry being deprived of only affordable
means of transport and survival.

Kisan Mehta  kisansbc at vsnl.com

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul <paul at swisscontact.or.id>
To: <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2001 3:18 PM
Subject: FW: Update, Jakarta Issue [LOCOA]

> Hi, Paul,
> it is good that you share this information with other people. But I think,
to have a balance information, please check also with government why they do
all  this. I am sure they don't do that just for fun, it must
be a reason.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Paul Butarbutar
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Barter [SMTP:geobpa at nus.edu.sg]
> Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2001 10:20 AM
> To: 'sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org'
> Subject: FW: Update, Jakarta Issue [LOCOA]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: hyowoo na [mailto:locoa2000 at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Saturday, 29 September 2001 10:22
> To: Kirtee Shah; Mr. Leo Shah; Rajesh Shah; Myung&nbsp;Ho Shin; SeungMin
> Shin; Tomoe Shitaba; Johan Silas; Amarasiri de Silva; Teresita Silva;
> Raajen Singh; Dibalok Singha; dickson Singha; Sri Sofjan; Sofyan; Thomas
> Soi; Thomas Steinbugler; Sustran; Amor Tampubolon; Jo Hann Tan; Tibet
> Fund; Edicio De La Torre; UCDO; UDLE; Dennis Upa
> Subject: Update, Jakarta Issue [LOCOA]
>
>
>            UPDATE,August 15 to 26 September 2001
>                   - Jakarta, Indonesia -

CASUALTIES OF STATE VIOLENCE
AGAINST THE URBAN POOR OF JAKARTA