Red lights put off at Kramat Tunggak<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): "In the name of Allah, I hereby declare from
\nthis moment the closure of Kramat Tunggak red-light district."<\/p>\n
So said Governor Sutiyoso in a modest ceremony held on
\nWednesday marking the closure of the 30-year-old Kramat Tunggak
\nred-light district.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso unveiled an inscription that stated the closure of
\nthe 11-hectare district -- which was home to approximately 1,600
\nprostitutes and 260 panderers -- by the Jakarta administration.<\/p>\n
The official ceremony held at the security post of the
\nentrance gate of the complex was attended by city officials, the
\nmedia and locals.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso later met with approximately 30 of the former Kramat
\nTunggak sex workers and panderers.<\/p>\n
To the former prostitutes, who have been provided with special
\ncourses and skills, such as makeup application, food catering,
\nsewing and tailoring, Sutiyoso said: "I hope you can use your new
\nskills to support your life in the future. Let bygones be
\nbygones."<\/p>\n
One of the women burst into tears while listening to the
\ngovernor's speech.<\/p>\n
The informal meeting subsequently focused on money issues
\nfacing the women and their former pimps.<\/p>\n
The discussion was triggered when Cecep, who talked on behalf
\nof the pimps, asked the governor to buy their property in order
\nto allow them to pursue a new line of business.<\/p>\n
"I hope the city government can buy our land or find investors
\nto develop the district," he said.<\/p>\n
His remark was immediately cheered by the former prostitutes.<\/p>\n
"Yes Pak Gubernur, we need money to start our new businesses,"
\nthe crowd of women shouted.<\/p>\n
When invited to express their final wish, Endang, a former sex
\nworker from Madura, East Java, approached the officials and
\nrevealed a need to buy new gadgets for her newly established
\nhairdressing salon.<\/p>\n
"I need a hair dryer which will cost more than one million
\nrupiah (US$138) to provide a better service to my customers," she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Envelope<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso nodded his head, apparently in agreement, as the
\nwoman made her plea. He astounded onlookers when toward the end
\nof the ceremony, he personally handed Endang an envelope believed
\nto contain Rp 1 million.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso promised staff members, who handed him the envelope,
\nthat he would personally recompense the funds upon his return to
\nhis office.<\/p>\n
Emboldened by Endang's luck, Yati, another former sex worker
\nfrom Majalengka, West Java, made another heartfelt plea.<\/p>\n
With her eyes brimming with tears, Yati told the city
\nofficials that she badly needed money to open a tailor shop in
\nher hometown.<\/p>\n
"The equipment is expensive. But I only need some Rp 200,000
\nto start my new business," she said.<\/p>\n
In response, Sutiyoso hastily asked the head of the city
\nparking agency, Yani Mulyadi, to help Yati.<\/p>\n
"Pak Yani is from Majalengka, so let's ask him to help Yati,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The official quickly met the request and handed over an
\nundisclosed sum of money to the delighted Yati.<\/p>\n
Prior to the arrival of the officials, the complex was
\nrelatively quiet. Several women were seen packing their
\nbelongings, while a number of men helped them carry the items to
\nwaiting trucks.<\/p>\n
"Most of my girls had already left on Tuesday by bus to
\nIndramayu, West Java," said a madam, adding that she herself was
\nwaiting on the building's owner to surrender the property.<\/p>\n
The closure of the area has also affected some of the local
\npeople.<\/p>\n
"I don't have anything to do now, while I have a family to
\nsupport," resident Bambang, who once worked as a brothel keeper
\nat the complex, said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
"Idul Fitri holidays are coming soon and I don't have a job.
\nThe closure makes my life difficult."<\/p>\n
The district was established on April 21, 1970, by then
\ngovernor Ali Sadikin. More than half of the area is owned by
\nlocals.<\/p>\n
Data from the city administration reveals that 69 percent of
\nthe prostitutes in the complex were elementary school graduates.
\nForty-four percent of them were aged between 21 and 25 years, and
\n21 percent were under 21 years of age.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi warned the city
\nadministration that the closure of Kramat Tunggak would hamper
\nthe task of health officials in controlling the spread of
\nsexually transmitted diseases.<\/p>\n
"The ministry will have a hard time reaching and supervising
\nsex workers on health issues," the minister said on an official
\nvisit on Wednesday to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said that his ministry could no longer continue their
\noutreach methods to help sex workers manage their health.<\/p>\n
"We will have to find another way to give the health services
\nfor them," Achmad said.<\/p>\n
He said his office would, for example, work together with non-
\ngovernmental organizations (NGOs) to keep track of sex workers.<\/p>\n
"But it will be temporary before the government can formulate
\nsome ways to supervise them."<\/p>\n
The minister said he hoped the NGOs would help his office to
\nprovide health information and counseling for the sex workers.
\n(04\/05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/red-lights-put-off-at-kramat-tunggak-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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