TheJakartaPost
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People take showers in front of Jakarta's City Hall protesting water privatization
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A protester dumps water over himself as part of a protest to demand that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan stop water privatization, as ruled by the Supreme Court last year. The action took place in front of City Hall on March 22. (JP/Ivany Atina Arbi)
D
ozens of people took showers together in front of Jakarta’s City Hall on Thursday in protest of the involvement of private companies in supplying pipe water to households.
Under the theme “Taking a Shower Together”, people grouped under the Coalition of Jakarta Residents Opposing Water Privatization (KMMSAJ) showered while asking the administration to adhere to a Supreme Court ruling issued last year that put an end to water privatization in Jakarta, instead of restructuring a contract between city-owned operator PAM Jaya with private water firms PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and PT Aetra Air Jakarta (Aetra).
“The privatization has harmed residents as it results in high water costs,” said the coalition in a statement.
Previously, PAM Jaya president director Erlan Hidayat said he would soon sign a “restructured agreement” with Palyja and Aetra. The three companies have been in cooperation since 1997. Palyja and Aetra had been granted the rights to produce and distribute clean water in the capital.
The coalition have urged Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to revoke Gubernatorial Letter No. 3126/072 on the water privatization, issued on Dec. 24, 1997, and to cease the cooperation between PAM Jaya, Palyja and Aetra.
