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Indonesia: Indonesian students face forced eviction
Amnesty International Urgent Action – November 2, 2009
UA: 292/09 Index: ASA 21/018/2009
An estimated 900 students from a Christian college in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, are facing imminent forced eviction from a temporary site where they have been living and studying. At least 17 students are on hunger strike. The authorities in Jakarta have not offered the students suitable alternative accommodation, so they may be forced to sleep out in the open.
The students, who study at the Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Teologi Injil Arastamar (known as STT Setia) Christian college in Jakarta, could be forcibly evicted within days from the former office of the Mayor of West Jakarta, Grogol. The city authorities have recently lost ownership of the site in a legal dispute with a private company. Electricity and water were disconnected from the building on 26 October, though the authorities have provided water tanks outside the building. The mayor has proposed that the students move to another temporary site, a former temporary holding centre for migrants inNorth Jakarta. However, the Setia college authorities say that the building is in disrepair and is not suitable for people to live and study in.
At least 1,400 students from different provinces were evacuated from their Setia college campus in July 2008 when it was attacked by villagers and others allegedly linked to sections of the hardline Islamist group, the Islamic Defenders Front.
It is the second time in a month that some of these students have been notified that they must leave their premises at short notice. An estimated 700 of them moved to the Grogol building over the last three weeks, after being initially evicted from a campsite in East Jakarta. Over 1,000 students from Setia College have been living in temporary premises lacking adequate sanitation, access to clean water, and health services.
Please write immediately in Indonesian or your own language calling on authorities in Indonesia:
Deputy Governor of Jakarta
Prijanto
The City Jakarta Administration
Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan
8-9
Blok G Lantai 3 Jakarta,
Indonesia
Fax: +62 21 3848850
Email: dkiweb@jakarta.go.id
Salutation: Dear Deputy
Governor
Head of the Jakarta Education
Department
Taufik Yudi Mulyanto
Jalan Gatot Subroto Kavling
40-41, Jakarta Selatan 12950,
Jakarta, Indonesia
Fax: +62 21 5204039
Email: dki@jakarta.go.id
Salutation: Dear Mr Taufik
Copies to: diplomatic representatives of Indonesia accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
Additional Information
Religious minority groups in Indonesia continue to suffer from discrimination, intimidation and violence.
On 25 -27 July 2008 the local mosque in Pulo Pinang Ranti village, Makassar sub-district, in East Jakarta was used to make announcements calling on people to attack the Setia Christian college after a Setia student was accused of stealing. Soon a mob of hundreds of people began to surround the college and started shouting. Many people from outside the village came with machetes and bamboo stakes. They attacked the student dormitories with stones and molotov cocktails. At least 21 students were injured during the attack and evacuation.
The Setia college staff have made reports to the police about the attacks as well as provided them with additional information. The police initially informed the college they were investigating the matter but Amnesty International is not aware of any arrests in relation to the attack. The students were moved to three temporary accommodation sites, in Grogol, Cibubur and Kalimalang by the city authorities following the July 2008 violent attacks. At the time of writing, the Setia College premises remained unhabited.
On 27 October, hundreds of Setia College students organised a rally near the Grogol building. According to news reports, at least four police officers and some students were injured during the rally.
Forced evictions are evictions carried out without adequate notice and consultation with those affected, without legal safeguards and without assurances of adequate alternative accommodation. Under international law, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to which Indonesia is a state party, forced evictions are prohibited, and the state has the duty to ensure that civilians are not subject to forced evictions.
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