Indonesia Accused of Evicting Jakarta Poor

Human Rights Watch urged Indonesia to stop evicting tens of thousands of poor people from their homes in Jakarta.

A Human Rights Watch report, quoting numerous accounts of those evicted, alleged the city government’s excessive use of force to clear out urban slums. Many residents said they were given little time to collect belongings before their homes were razed. In some instances, security forces were accused of opening fire on communities and setting buildings on fire while people were inside.

Human Rights Watch said the city government justifies the evictions by saying it is trying to ensure public order, remove trespassers from private or state land, or clear land for infrastructure projects.

It isn’t just that the regional government has failed to protect people — it is in some cases actually attacking them, said Sophie Richardson with Human Rights Watch’s Asia division.