Eight injured, five arrested in Gambir clash<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of street vendors operating near the
\nNational Monument in Central Jakarta clashed with security
\nofficers who were carrying out a joint operation against traders
\nin front of Gambir railway station on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
At least three civilian defense (Hansip) officials identified
\nas Teguh, Rizal and Darsono suffered stab wounds to their arms
\nand heads in the incident which took place in broad daylight. A
\nCentral Jakarta Military District officer, Sgt. Maj. Ade Irwan,
\nwas also wounded after being hit with a stone.<\/p>\n
The vendors claimed that five of their friends were injured in
\nthe clash, which also involved police and public order (Tramtib)
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, chief of the City's data processing office
\nRaya Siahaan said that at least four traders, identified as Abdul
\nHanan, Sehra and Hali, were injured during the raid and were
\ntaken to nearby Tarakan public hospital.<\/p>\n
One of the vendors, Zainuddin, blamed the security officers'
\nuse of violence for the clash.<\/p>\n
\"They treated us harshly and even took our money without
\njustification. We fought them to prevent the loss of the
\nbelongings that they forcibly took from us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A public order official, Ade Chandra, whose leg was hit by a
\nbottle, said the vendors were seen brandishing sickles, machetes
\nand knives when the security officers came.<\/p>\n
\"We stopped some 30 meters before the vendors, but one of them
\nsuddenly threw a stone that hit the head of a civil defense
\nofficer while other vendors threw bottles and other objects at
\nus,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Some of the public order officials braved the stones and other
\nobjects hurled by the vendors as they removed pushcarts and
\nloaded them onto waiting trucks.<\/p>\n
Dozens of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers dispersed the
\nprotesting vendors and arrested five of them, identified as
\nRahman, Rifai, Erdi, Fauzi and Hendrik for possession of weapons.<\/p>\n
Several women were seen grabbing the hands and legs of the
\nofficials when the arrest was made. Three women fell to the
\nground as a result.<\/p>\n
City police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman said 40 Brimob
\nofficers were deployed at Gambir station after receiving reports
\nthat the vendors had armed themselves.<\/p>\n
\"We needed Brimob officers in the area, since most of the
\nvendors were armed with sharp weapons, machetes and sickles,\"
\nMulyono said.<\/p>\n
He said the raid actually targeted the notorious hoodlums who
\ncommonly operated in Tanah Abang market, some three kilometers
\naway from Gambir.<\/p>\n
\"Because these vendors were making too much noise, they ended
\nup being taken away as a result,\" Mulyono told reporters.<\/p>\n
City data processing official Raya Siahaan confirmed that
\nWednesday's operation was part of the citywide crackdown on
\nhoodlums, who are believed to have been backing the illegal
\ntraders' businesses.<\/p>\n
A source said the traders, mostly Madurese, paid a thug named
\nHusen between Rp 1 million and Rp 2 million every three months
\nfor \"a license\" to operate in National Monument (Monas) park and
\nits surroundings.<\/p>\n
Protest<\/p>\n
After the raid, some 100 vendors went to the Central Jakarta
\nMayoralty office, demanding the release of five of their friends
\nand the return of their carts seized during the operation.<\/p>\n
Zainuddin, Mulyadi, Hidayat, Jalin and Rusdi represented the
\nvendors in a meeting with the mayoralty's legal affairs chief
\nDedet Ruskandar and city public order assistant Agus Salim Utut.<\/p>\n
The vendors also demanded that the mayoralty administration
\nallow the vendors to sell food around Gambir railway station and
\nin Monas park.<\/p>\n
Agus Salim said that the Central Jakarta administration had
\nrepeatedly ordered the vendors to move to the space behind the
\nGambir railway station that the administration had provided.<\/p>\n
\"But they opted to occupy roads and pavements along the
\nstation compound and Monas park although they knew it violated
\ncity bylaw No. 11\/1988 on public order,\" Agus said, adding that
\nthe presence of the vendors obstructed traffic.<\/p>\n
Over the past week, the mayoralty deployed some 380 officers
\nto clear illegal vendors operating on the streets of Bendungan
\nHilir, Sudirman, MH Thamrin, Medan Merdeka Timur and along Gambir
\nrailway station and Monas park.<\/p>\n
Those arrested will face a short trial at the mayoralty
\nauditorium in Kebonjahe, Central Jakarta on Thursday. They could
\nbe fined Rp 50,000 for violating city bylaw No.7 11\/1988.
\n(01\/ylt\/jun)<\/p>",
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