T

he National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) will for a second time summon Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo next week after he failed to appear on Wednesday.

The matter relates to the city administration's 'use of armed personnel' in the attempted relocation of Muara Baru squatters in North Jakarta.

'We sent a [summon] letter to the governor, but he didn't show up. We plan to call him back on May 16,' commissioner Siane Indriani told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The commission was following up a report by Muara Baru squatters who said they were evicted from their homes under the threat of armed personnel.

They said that armed police and military personnel had been guarding their area for over a month and had intimidated locals, according to Siane.

Heavy equipment had also been readied in the neighborhood on the banks of Pluit Dam, which was included in the administration's flood mitigation plan, she said.

'We have observed and confirmed the locals' report. No dialogue was organized by the administration before the eviction,' she said. 'We need an explanation from the governor, because this method is inhumane.'

Separately, Jokowi stressed that he had not received a letter from the commission. 'When?' he asked, referring to the letter.

He also pointed out that he had regular dialogues with the squatters, but admitted that a decision on the matter had been hard.

'It's because the groups I met were different every time, so were the requests. We obviously can't accommodate everyone,' he told reporters at City Hall on Friday.

He said that as a result of his meetings with the squatters, different groups would be housed at the Muara Baru and Marunda public housing complexes, and a 2.3-hectare plot of land near Pluit Dam would become home for some of the others.

The administration is relocating squatters living around the dam and riverbanks to rehabilitate 13 rivers as part of its flood mitigation efforts, following widespread flooding in January.

Some of the squatters have reportedly agreed to be relocated but have demanded 'compensation'.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said the commission's summons was 'unfair'.

'We have to rehabilitate the dam,' he said. 'Now, if this is against human rights, I will call on people to occupy the National Monument area. If anyone evicts them, I will report them to the commission and ask for compensation.'

Basuki said the land belonged to the state. He explained that the administration had set a two-year deadline for squatters in all parts of the capital to be relocated.