Dr Rita Padawangi - Urban Villages and Activism
Jakarta’s urban village (kampung) communities have received considerable attention in the last few months amid the hotly contested Jakarta gubernatorial election. While most of the election coverage focused on race and religious issues, former Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama’s track record of forced evictions of kampungs along Jakarta’s riverbanks also stirred much controversy. Kampung residents and activist groups condemn these evictions as unlawful and undemocratic. Yet many Jakartans argue that evictions are necessary measures to fix the city’s notorious traffic gridlocks and…
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