Nightspot workers rally to keep their doors open<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some 4,000 nightspots operators and their
\nemployees staged a counter protest at City Hall on Tuesday
\nfollowing a rally a day earlier at the same place which strongly
\ncalled for the closure of the businesses.<\/p>\n
Unlike the previous protesters who were attired in uniforms
\nand armed with long wooden sticks and occupied the building for
\nalmost nine hours from 5 a.m., participants of Tuesday's rally
\nvoiced their demands in a peaceful way at the City Hall compound
\nby carrying banners and submitting their wishes to Governor
\nSutiyoso and other officials.<\/p>\n
The nightlife workers and their bosses asked the Jakarta
\nauthorities to allow them to work during the ongoing Ramadhan
\nholy month.<\/p>\n
\"There are some 300,000 people working in or related to the
\nnightspot sector,\" the chairman of the Indonesian Association of
\nEntertainment Centers (Aspehindo), Affendi Sastra, said, citing
\nparking attendants, street vendors and taxi drivers as those
\nrelated to the sector.<\/p>\n
During the meeting with the officials, Affendi also wanted the
\nsecurity authorities in the capital to help protect their
\nbusinesses from mushrooming threats from certain groups.<\/p>\n
A day earlier, activists of the Defenders of Islam Front (FPI)
\nbroke into City Hall with a similar number of personnel and
\nblocked the entrance of the building in a measure to press the
\ngovernor to close all nightspots.<\/p>\n
Their move, which began by performing the subuh (predawn)
\nprayer at the building, totally paralyzed the city
\nadministration's activities for the entire day.<\/p>\n
It, however, remained unclear why the security authorities did
\nnot take stiff measures against the occupation of such a
\ngovernment building.<\/p>\n
In a statement, FPI implicitly stated that they might have to
\nresort to physical action if Governor Sutiyoso refused to close
\ndown all nightspots in the capital soon.<\/p>\n
\"Our members' emotions might get out of control, resulting in
\nthe destruction and burning of such places,\" it warned.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's rally by the nightspot workers and businessmen began
\nat 9 a.m. and lasted for three hours, before it dispersed
\npeacefully. The protesters then marched to the nearby city
\ncouncil's building.<\/p>\n
Promise<\/p>\n
During the meeting with the protesters, Sutiyoso reminded them
\nof his position as governor in which he had to stand
\nproportionally among all city residents and take into account all
\naspirations.<\/p>\n
\"All parties must also respect the Ramadhan fasting month,\"
\nthe governor told the protesters.<\/p>\n
He also reiterated his promise to impose strict sanctions
\nagainst any nightspots that were red-handedly found breaking his
\ninstructions on the limitation of the tolerable operating time
\nduring the Muslim holy month.<\/p>\n
During the meeting with the councilors, the workers and owners
\nof the entertainment places, such as discotheques, pubs, massage
\nparlors and karaoke clubs, received support from the officials.<\/p>\n
The councilors supported their right to work at such places as
\nlong as they did not breach any of the existing regulations.<\/p>\n
\"They have to support their families by working at such
\nplaces,\" said deputy speaker Tarmidi.<\/p>\n
\"Beside, we all need entertainment once in a while. We go to a
\nrestaurant or a karaoke club to relax,\" Tarmidi, from the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction,
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Councilor Ahmad Heryawan of the Justice Party (PK) faction
\nadmitted that the public still had a lack of vision about the
\nterms 'entertainment' and 'vice activities.'<\/p>\n
\"Some people consider a discotheque as merely an entertainment
\nspot, wile some others see them as places of 'vice' activities.\"<\/p>\n
An official of the city tourism agency, R. Suparlan, revealed
\nthat the city was currently home to a total of 1,366 amusement
\ncenters, including 235 movie theaters, 139 discotheques, 151
\nkaraoke clubs, eight night clubs, 10 saunas, 224 live music
\nvenues and 196 massage parlors.<\/p>\n
\"The number is slightly lower from last year's figure of 1,495
\ncenters. Most of them at the time were closed down because of the
\nprolonged monetary crisis,\" Suparlan said.<\/p>\n
Data from the city revenue agency revealed that until
\nNovember, contributions from the entertainment sector reached
\nabout Rp 30 billion (US$4.3 million).<\/p>\n
For the fiscal year 1998\/1999, the entertainment sector
\ncontributed some Rp 40 billion or 3.29 percent of total city
\nrevenue and contributions in the year 1997\/1998 were some Rp 46.2
\nbillion, or 2.5 percent of the revenue. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nightspot-workers-rally-to-keep-their-doors-open-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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