AMMAN (Dispatches) – The 
Jordanian government is forcibly evicting a Bedouin tribe in southern Jordan from their homes in Petra, according to Human Rights Watch.
The Bedul are the oldest known inhabitants of the land surrounding the archaeological site, which has become a global tourist hotspot attracting upwards of a million visitors. 
Interview footage and court documents reviewed by Human Rights Watch reveal a number of measures taken by the Jordanian government aimed at evicting the Bedul that Human Rights Watch describes as “coercive”. 
These policies include the suspension of water services, as well as social security payments and salaries for Bedul residents employed by the Petra Development and Tourism Regional Authority (PDTRA). 
Other Bedul residents have experienced arbitrary detention without charge, with release contingent upon their consenting to eviction. 
“Jordan’s displacement of the Bedul from their historic homes in Petra puts their culture at risk,” said Adam Coogle, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
“The Jordanian government should halt the relocations and respect the rights of Petra’s Bedouin community.”
Petra’s semi-nomadic Bedul community, who live in caves and tents in the Stooh al-Nabi Harun Mountain, first faced a government-led eviction campaign when Petra was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1985. 
“Jordan’s displacement of the Bedul from their historic homes in Petra puts their culture at risk,” said Adam Coogle, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
“The Jordanian government should halt the relocations and respect the rights of Petra’s Bedouin community.”
Petra’s semi-nomadic Bedul community, who live in caves and tents in the Stooh al-Nabi Harun Mountain, first faced a government-led eviction campaign when Petra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.