'I don't have any other choice to survive'<\/p>\n
City councillors have told Governor Sutiyoso to pay serious
\nattention to the plight of some 500,000 street vendors operating
\nhere. A number of the vendors took the time to share their views
\non the matter with The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Juntak, 24, a sidewalk vendor who has been selling video
\ncompact disks in Senen, Central Jakarta, for eight years:<\/p>\n
If Sutiyoso plans to raid street vendors he should do it to
\nall of the vendors across the Greater Jakarta, and then relocate
\nus to more appropriate areas.<\/p>\n
I know that I am in the wrong, because vendors block up the
\nstreets and cause traffic. But we don't do it on purpose. I mean,
\nI wouldn't be doing this job if I had a better and safer job.<\/p>\n
The reason I dare open a stall here in the street is because
\nI'm not alone. Many other people do the same thing just to
\nsurvive.<\/p>\n
So, I'll keep on trying to stay on the good side of the city
\npublic order officers and the police so hopefully I won't be
\nevicted. I don't give them any money, just cigarettes and I'll
\nbuy them a drink.<\/p>\n
I don't make much money, just enough to buy some food and
\ncigarettes.<\/p>\n
Samsu Ramli, 45, a sidewalk vendor who has sold clothes in
\nJatinegara, East Jakarta, for 15 years. He resides in Bogor:<\/p>\n
Frankly, I'm a bit worried about Governor Sutiyoso's new
\npolicies to deal with vendors like me. Will we be safe during his
\nsecond term?<\/p>\n
Well, I'll try to be more disciplined so that the city public
\norder officers won't have any reason to raid me.<\/p>\n
I know working as a street vendor is wrong. I know that it
\ncauses traffic congestion along the street here because we take
\nup half of the street.<\/p>\n
But this is the only thing I can do to survive. Do you think
\nthe city administration would help me survive by giving me a job?
\nI don't think so. I don't have any other choice buy to continue
\ndoing what I'm doing, so I can survive.<\/p>\n
I can say that the city officials have so far tolerated our
\npresence here. At least, there haven't been any raids recently.
\nThey just warn us and ask us to move back off the street, even
\nthough we don't give them any money. I can make about Rp 50,000 a
\nday.<\/p>\n
Geny, 17, helps his uncle sell towels near the Cipto
\nMangunkusumo Public Hospital in Salemba, Central Jakarta:<\/p>\n
The public order officers tried to raid us once, but we fought
\nthem back. I mean, we are willing to be moved if the city
\nadministration can find a new location for us. But they only
\nforcibly evict us, without giving us any other options.<\/p>\n
And we already paid for our spot here on the street. My uncle
\npaid Rp 200,000 to an officer three years ago. So we believe that
\nwe have the right to be here. My uncle regularly pays the public
\norder officers, but I don't know how much.<\/p>\n
Karsinah, 52, she and her husband sell beverages on the street
\nin Slipi, West Jakarta. She is originally from Indramayu, West
\nJava:<\/p>\n
I don't know who Sutiyoso is and I don't care about that. I'm
\njust an old, simple woman who wants to make a living in the city.<\/p>\n
Sometimes I worry about raids by the city's public order
\nofficers. But so far they have always been kind, as they always
\ngive us a warning before evicting us. That's why we pay them
\nevery month, to save ourselves. But I don't know how much we give
\nthem; that's my husband's business.<\/p>\n
They have the right to evict us because we know we are in the
\nwrong. But our drive to survive is stronger than our fear of
\neviction, so we take the chance and do this kind of work.<\/p>\n
-- Leo Wahyudi S<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/i-dont-have-any-other-choice-to-survive-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }