Operation Cleansing makes residents feel secure<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Maphar subdistrict in Taman Sari,
\nWest Jakarta, feel more secure since the launching of the
\nmilitary-backed anti-crime drive Operasi Bersih (Operation
\nCleansing) earlier this month.<\/p>\n
"It's much calmer now. Last month, when the operation was not
\nlaunched yet, almost every night and day youngsters got drunk
\nalong the roads," said Abdul Madjid of Jl. Kebon Jeruk XIII in
\nMaphar subdistrict.<\/p>\n
Madjid was among the people witnessing the Operation Cleansing
\nteam confiscate thousands of bottles of alcoholic drinks from the
\nSurya and Maju shops on Jl. Kebon Jeruk late last week.<\/p>\n
He noted that liquor was relatively cheap and very easy to get
\nin his area, prompting many students to go on drinking sprees.<\/p>\n
Liong Tjong Hua, the owner of Surya shop, said the prices of
\nthe alcoholic beverages he sells range from Rp 1,600 (US$76) to
\nRp 3,000. He confirmed that most of his customers are youngsters.<\/p>\n
The anti-crime operation, which commenced on March 11,
\ninvolves personnel from the Police Force, the Army, the Marine
\nCorps and the Air Force, as well as security officers from the
\nJakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi administrations.<\/p>\n
Sugianto, who lives on Jl. Kebon Jeruk V and was on hand
\nduring the raids on the shops, said that he was happy with the
\noperation, which he considers successful in ridding the area of
\nhoodlums.<\/p>\n
"Almost every day I heard about disturbances in different
\nparts of the district. But since the operation was launched, I
\nfeel secure to walk everywhere, even at night," Sugianto, a
\nmigrant from Surakarta, Central Java, said.<\/p>\n
Sugianto said brawls between youths are very common incidents
\nin the area, which is the site of the state-run STM VII Technical
\nHigh School, whose students are notorious for instigating
\nclashes.<\/p>\n
He said the most anxious moments for him are when brawls break
\nout when his children are not home from school yet.<\/p>\n
"I have only two children and both go to quite distant
\nschools. Any time I hear of a brawl, I contact their schools
\ndirectly. But, if they are already on their way home, I can't do
\nanything but wait for them nervously," Sugianto said.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. I.P. Sisworo, commander of the West Jakarta military
\ndistrict command, told The Jakarta Post that the responsibility
\nfor the security in the Taman Sari area is inherent in the
\nsecurity system used for every subdistrict.<\/p>\n
The system involves Mitra Babinsa, civilians who support
\nsubdistrict security, and Bakor Konwil, civilians who support
\ndistrict communication.<\/p>\n
Capt. Sudarno, the commander of the Taman Sari military ward-
\nlevel headquarters, said the Mitra Babinsa and Bakor Konwil are
\nfully self-reliant in terms of funding.<\/p>\n
"We just coordinate them," he said.<\/p>\n
J. Pohan, coordinator of the Taman Sari Mitra Babinsa and
\nBakor Konwil, said he had collected funds to build a number of
\nsentry posts, each of which costs more than Rp 5 million
\n(US$2,380).<\/p>\n
To support the routine budget, every member of Mitra Babinsa
\nand Bakor Konwil, a number of whom are people of Chinese descent,
\nvoluntarily send in money and take care of their own needs, such
\nas uniforms, walkie-talkies and their own meals.<\/p>\n
"Even for a pack of cigarettes, we have to buy them on our
\nown. But it doesn't matter at all because we love it," Pohan
\nsaid. (11)<\/p>",
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