Marched to demand to recover the flood victims and build flood-prevention facility

On 22 February, 2007 hundreds of members of The National Liberation party of Unity( Papernas) staged a protest outside of President Palace and ministry of wealth and governor office, demanded their responsibilty to recover flood victims and restore and build flood-prevention infrastructure. They came from several slum districts of Jakarta and gathered in front of National monument.

They marched to the major office they yield the slogan “the elites are flooded with money, we are flash flooded”. When the leader of the march asked who should take responsibility to flood disaster? They replied all together “The government Of Susilo Bambang Yudoyono and Sutioso (governor)”.

One of the firefighter members was also came approach and give his solidarity speech . Nurani, national committees of National Front of Indonesian Workers’ Struggle (FNPBI,) a workers organization in Papernas emphasized that the flood is not a natural disaster, it is the consequences of government policy. Government put the profit in their development framework, such a policy that sacrifying the poor.

They marched to three government building; the President palace, ministry of welfare and the governor office, and demanded the representative to meet the poor. None of them have enough courage to meet the poor and take responsibilty to this disaster. No one dare to see the poor and committed to take the responsibility of the flood-damaging consequnses.

Marlo Sitompul, Urban Poor Union (SRMK) an Organization in Papernas stated that Both national and regional administration has failed to overcome the poverty and failed to rescue the poor from disaster. We bring with us data of thousand of the poor : the damages homes, the disesased they have and the right they mis for unable to make any living during the flood. . “We here to hear directly their commitment to responsible for neglacting the citizen as they neglect the flood-prevention facility. (** KP)

(This statement was released during the mass action on 22 February 2007)

Government is responsible for relief work and prevents the future flood The Flood Prevention Action has been using as one of reason for Jakarta administration of Governor Sutiyoso to implement forced eviction to the slump district. Yet it is proven false, as the forced eviction massively sparked in Jakarta, The flood keep flowing the capital city. This year, the flood is even worse. It was not only affected 70% are of Jakarta, but also affected the closest area like Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi. Casualties increased higher than the great flood that had happened five years ago. Mud and disease entered the affected homes which majorities are the homes of the poor. In addition to, more than three weeks they can not make any living.

How did the government react to this? It is truly unbelievable to see that in this emergency situation, both local and national government did not take immediate action to : to evacuate people, to provide food, clothes and medical treatment, but they were busy to blame each other. It is improper to consider this as a natural disaster. It is more about misplan or deliberately mistaken in running the development program. There are many water reservoir are converted into high rise building and elites residence. About 60 percent of the roughly 200 lakes in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi were damaged in 2002 Poor drainage system and lack of flood control facilities has made many residential areas, including the urban poor shantytowns that often line the now overflowing storm drains, are totally inundated, forcing the evacuation of at least 340,000 people.

Both the national and local government did not learnt from bitter experience had happened five years ago. The flood threat was likely hit the city due to lack of flood-prevention infrastructure.

Post-flood period, the victims are suffering. Mud is still well up inside their homes; disease diarehea, Dengue Fever and Leptospirosis began to infect them. Futhermore ongoing heavy rain makes the water went into their homes over and over.

Now it is the time for the people to unite, build the strength to demand the responsibility of national and local government to overcome rehabilitate post-flood consequences and provide long-term solution of flood prevention facility. If we do not act to this, anoher flood will sink the city and obviously the poor are affected the most.

We demand the government to conduct the following action:

1. Realizing 1 Billion allocation to restore each affected district to clean and to rebuild the affected-homes and restore the material lost. It must be conducted.

2. Provide the decent evacuation shelter with the adequate food, water and medical threatment.

3. Provide acces to free medical threatment.

4. Established cheap and decent houses for the poor to reduce slum houses the edge of the river.

5. Immediately develop and restore reservoir , rehabilitated lakes (locally known as situ) flood gate, in Jakarta, Tangerang and Bogor. In facing the problem of fund resources, government must put the priority on the development, for instance put the priority to rehabilitate Eastern flood gate.

6. Increase city gardens and the absorption land of water.

7. Restore waste system, provide the extra big public waste place disposal in subdistrict level and Applying high technology in final waste disposal. Improving or increasing cleaning service structure by formally employing scavenger.

8. Develop flood assistance and flood prevention. Establish training school to deal with flood under the control of flood handling institute, financed by national or local government and controlled by supervosiry council that consist of elected- delegates each district that able to be revoked by the resident if he/she was proven corrupt or neglect the mandate.

9. Took firmly action on land misuse. The sanctions not only was put on perpetrators of the development but also the permission givers. The sanctions kind was not limited on administrative, but also civil sanctions, even criminal sanctions. In order to cause the wary effect.

10. Supervice the implementation of Environmental impact analysis (AMDAL) and strictly punish any corporation that violate the regulation in environmental impact analysis.

Jakarta, 22 February 2007