Fate of Senayan vendors remains up in the air<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Street vendors and cafe owners in the eastern parking area of the
\nBung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, expressed
\nrelief that a plan to remove them had been delayed, but they
\nremain confused about their future.<\/p>\n
Edi, a sate padang (skewered meat with curry sauce) vendor,
\nsaid on Sunday the sports complex management had yet to make
\nclear its new policy.<\/p>\n
\"We haven't heard anything from the management about our
\npresence here. Will there be a deadline to move out of here for
\ngood or to a new location in the complex?\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
The sports complex management had ordered the vendors and cafe
\nowners to leave, a favorite weekend destination for Jakartans,
\nbecause it planned to develop the area.<\/p>\n
The management had planned to clear the area of vendors during
\na three-day operation from Friday to Sunday. On Thursday,
\nhowever, the vendors and cafe owners held a rally at the City
\nCouncil building, demanding a transparent policy and a chance to
\nearn a living.<\/p>\n
Yohanes Rahawadan, one of the cafe owners, said the
\ncouncillors had asked the sports complex management and the
\nCentral Jakarta mayor to delay the evictions. Rahawadan's wife
\nMartha Kase, who is a former national athlete, coordinated the
\nrally on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso told reporters that he knew nothing about
\nthe planned evictions.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso has said that Senayan stadium, which is managed by
\nthe central government, should be handed over to the city
\nadministration following the implementation of regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
Vendors at the sports complex also questioned the management's
\npolicy of collecting between Rp 2,000 (23 US cents) and Rp 5,000
\ndaily from the vendors, and the Rp 420,000 monthly fee charged to
\nthe owners of 17 cafes located across from the Hilton apartments.<\/p>\n
The management has said that the location currently occupied
\nby the cafes would be converted into a greenbelt.<\/p>\n
\"We were allowed to open our businesses here and we pay the
\nfees, although we don't know where the money goes because there
\nis no security or sanitation provided. The management should have
\nspoken with us before coming up with a plan to evict us.<\/p>\n
\"We agree with the plan to establish a park here, but we just
\nneed a guarantee that we will be allowed to stay in business,\"
\nRahawadan told the Post.<\/p>\n
However, some people believe the plan to shut down the cafes
\ncame about because many of the cafe owners broke an agreement not
\nto sell alcoholic drinks.<\/p>\n
Rahawadan admitted that his cafe sold alcohol, \"but only to
\nprominent guests of the cafe\". He claimed that he stopped selling
\nalcohol soon after the management distributed a circular on the
\nplanned evictions.<\/p>\n
He said at least seven other cafes also sold alcohol. \"We are
\nnow establishing an association, so should there be another
\nbreach of the agreement with the management we ourselves would
\ntake action against the guilty party,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Next to his cafe, a group of people were standing beside their
\ncars drinking, while cafe workers pulled beers out of an ice
\nchest and poured them into plastic bags.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fate-of-senayan-vendors-remains-up-in-the-air-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}