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n alliance of civil society groups calling themselves People’s Decree have called on the Jakarta administration to halt all planned evictions, stating that rights violations have been found to occur in previous evictions.

The activists said recently they had requested a public hearing with the governor to deliver their opinions on the matter. However, they never received a response.

Catholic priest and religious freedom advocate Antonius Benny Susetyo said the government should have negotiated with residents before deciding to relocate them.

“Poor people are often considered moveable because they are powerless and lack bargaining power,” he said at the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) office.

He said revitalizing housing in the area would be a better solution than forcefully evicting residents. Urban development, Antonius said, should increase the dignity and welfare of the people.

Director of LBH Jakarta Alghiffari Aqsa said a number of human rights violations, including violence, had occurred during evictions, adding that Indonesia was a signatory of a UN covenant on eviction.

“The agreement affirms that evictions are justifiable only if they relate to natural disaster. They also require consent from both sides — the government and the evictees,” he said.

According to LBH Jakarta research, the administration carried out 113 evictions in 2015, with 8,315 families evicted and more than 6,283 businesses affected. In another survey, Ghifari said, 84 percent of respondents said they were not involved in discussions before the decision was made to evict them.

“I am afraid that evictions are Ahok’s way to gain more popularity among the middle class,” Ghifari said, referring to Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama.

Ahok needs 532,000 copies of ID cards to run as an independent candidate alongside his running mate Heru Budi Hartono in next year’s gubernatorial election.

Environmentalist Chalid Muhammad said Jakarta was a barometer city in Indonesia; its policies often inspired other cities across the country. “We urge the President to issue a policy package to better protect the poor, because evictions in Jakarta are now like a show of force,” he said. (fac)