A vendor passes by a number of birds for sale on July 2 at Barito Market in South Jakarta. - Antara
JAKARTA: The Jakarta administration’s plan to relocate South Jakarta’s Barito Market to make way for the proposed Asean Park has sparked strong opposition from a number of traders, who fear the move will cost them their livelihoods.
Stretching across roughly 40m, Barito Market hosts 137 stalls, where traders sell everything from local delicacies to popular pets like cats, guinea pigs and red-eared sliders.
The market sits along the same street as Langsat Park, a 3.6-hectare (ha) green space, and is just a short walk from Ayodia and Leuser parks; three public parks that now operate all day long as part of a citywide pilot to extend access to public spaces.
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung plans to merge the three parks into a single complex dubbed as Asean Park, named after the Asean headquarters located nearby, with better pedestrian areas, leading to the relocation of the market.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician said the relocation is “inevitable” to create a continuous green corridor connecting the three parks, arguing that the Barito Market sits on city-owned land.
Pramono said that he had asked South Jakarta authorities to hold talks with traders and offered several relocation alternatives, with the authorities ultimately selecting Lenteng Agung, around 13km from Barito Market, as the new site.
But 63-year-old Landri, head of the Barito Traders Association, said he had only heard vague mentions of the relocation proposal and had no idea what the new market in Lenteng Agung would look like, let alone being invited to take part in the discussions.
“Although we collectively reject the proposal, all of us hope that we could at least meet with government officials first,” Landri told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Landri is among the few veteran traders who have witnessed Barito Market’s transformation firsthand. He recalls its early days in the late 1970s, when the area was packed with cart-pushing florists and fishmongers, slowly evolving into a more permanent hub with a loyal customer base.
However, the market’s history has not been without hardship. In 2008, a portion of the area was cleared to expand green spaces, resulting in the creation of what is now Ayodia Park.
That move also drew protests from traders, many of whom said the relocation led to job losses. The city administration at the time, under then-governor Fauzi Bowo, relocated dozens of affected vendors to nearby markets.
Despite lacking formal land titles, Landri and dozens of traders have managed to survive in Barito Market for decades. Landri has been selling caged birds since 1979, offering turtle doves, green leafbirds and lovebirds. Although business has struggled since the Covid-19 pandemic, he said earnings have recently become more stable.
“We are hoping that we can stay here. Relocating to other places would hurt our income, most of us don't have savings or a financial safety net,” he said.
Another trader who declined to be named was more blunt, saying the proposal is “no different from pushing us into unemployment”.
Urban planner Yayat Supriatna from Trisakti University acknowledged that while the government has the legal right to reclaim the land, it also has a moral obligation to protect livelihoods.
“If the new site cannot provide economic certainty, then resistance to the relocation is understandable.”
Meanwhile, the city administration believes the Asean Park could enhance Jakarta’s global image by incorporating the Asean identity into its public spaces.
The planned 6.2 ha park will connect Langsat, Ayodia and Leuser parks with jogging paths and shared public facilities. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of this year, but detailed plans remain unclear.
Jakarta Parks and Forests Agency head M. Fajar Sauri was not immediately available for comment. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
