Governor defends raid on Taman Puring kiosks<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso said on Monday that the city
\nadministration would stick to its decision to eliminate kiosks
\nfrom the park at Taman Puring flea market in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The (kiosks at) Taman Puring flea market are just a temporary
\nsite for vendors. Therefore, we will continue to uphold public
\norder at the site,\" he said at City Hall in response to protests
\nby traders who were upset after South Jakarta authorities
\ndemolished the kiosks on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He appealed to city residents to understand the
\nadministration's proceeding against the traders. He said that he
\nstrongly supported the action of the South Jakarta mayoralty.<\/p>\n
He also added that the action was meant to keep order and had
\nnothing to do with arrogance or oppression.<\/p>\n
He also said that the city needed informal economic
\nactivities, but not without limitations.<\/p>\n
\"The vendors still have to follow city regulations in order to
\nensure public order and to avoid public disorder,\" the governor
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Supporting the governor's remarks, South Jakarta Mayor Abdul
\nMufti said separately that he would not support issuing any
\npermits for flea market vendors.<\/p>\n
\"It's not my jurisdiction to issue such permits. It's the
\ngovernor who has the authority to do so. My responsibility is to
\nsecure the city's assets, including Taman Puring,\" he told
\nrepresentatives of the vendors' delegation, who came to his
\noffice to question Saturday's raid.<\/p>\n
The vendors said the raid was carried out without any
\nnotification to the traders. But Sutiyoso said his administration
\nrepeatedly told them to leave the site immediately as they were
\nno longer allowed to run a business there.<\/p>\n
With the help of police and military personnel, public order
\nofficials from the South Jakarta mayoralty office raided the
\nkiosks in the park area of Taman Puring flea market on Saturday
\nevening.<\/p>\n
The traders, who had earlier closed their kiosks to celebrate
\nIdul Fitri, said the personnel also confiscated some of their
\ngoods.<\/p>\n
\"We had to do it on the holidays to avoid clashes or other
\nconsequences with the vendors,\" Mufti said.<\/p>\n
History<\/p>\n
Taman Puring has been a popular flea market since 1972. The
\nflea market sells used merchandise, such as home appliances and
\nelectronics. It is alleged to sell stolen goods as well.<\/p>\n
The city administration invited people affected by the
\neconomic crisis to do business in the nearby park on a temporary
\nbasis in 1998. Besides Taman Puring park, there are 48 other
\nlocations used for similar activities throughout the city.<\/p>\n
Mufti said the mayoralty prepared alternative locations for
\nthe vendors at Pondok Indah and Cipete markets, in addition to
\nTaman Puring market.<\/p>\n
\"I've also prepared additional public transportation routes to
\nthe markets to attract more customers,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Vendors said they did not receive any warnings prior to the
\nraid.<\/p>\n
\"If they had warned us before, we could have saved our
\nbelongings,\" said vendor Fauzi Firdaus.<\/p>\n
Head of South Jakarta Park Office Sri Budisetiati said that
\nthe mayoralty sent at least three warning letters to the vendors,
\nasking them to dismantle their kiosks soon.<\/p>\n
\"They simply ignored our letters,\" she was quoted by Kompas as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
Mufti added that he had invited the vendors prior to
\nSaturday's operation, \"but no one showed up\".<\/p>\n
The vendors alleged city public order officials plundered
\ntheir goods. They also alleged that officers from the elite
\nMobile Police Brigade and the city military command's riot troops
\nwere involved in the lootings.<\/p>\n
\"They took my goods at gunpoint and prevented me from saving
\nmy merchandise,\" said another vendor, Nawawi.<\/p>\n
All the confiscated goods were reportedly stored at the city
\nwarehouse in Cakung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the reports, Mufti said that he needed lists
\nfrom vendors stating their missing merchandise. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/governor-defends-raid-on-taman-puring-kiosks-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}