Indonesian authorities defended their decision to evict plenty of water nomads from their homes off the coast of Sabah express this week, claiming it was done to improve surveillance and combat cross-border violence.
Local activists have reported that more than 500 residents of the Bajau Laut, a largely asynchronous sea-faring community that lives on rickety marinas or southern houses built on piers, saw their houses destroyed or burned by police officials this month.
Rights groups called on the state to block the foreclosures and ensure the safety and security of the Bajau Laut during the procedure in Sabah’s Semporna area.
Sabah’s minister of tourism, culture and environment Christina Liew said officials were empowered to act against unlawful activities, such as fish, building structures and gardening without consent, in protected areas controlled by Sabah Parks, a state protection agency.
” The sovereignty of the country’s laws in this issue must be upheld”, she said in a statement on Friday ( Jun 7 ).
According to Liew, 273 unauthorised settlements were given evacuation notices last month, and 138 of those structures were destroyed between Tuesday and Thursday in “hot spots” in the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, a tourist attraction known for its diving spots.