Residents threaten to destroy red-light district<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 50 residents of the Kramat Tunggak red-
\nlight district in North Jakarta went to City Hall yesterday,
\nthreatening to destroy the brothels in the area if the city
\nadministration did not close them down soon.<\/p>\n
Yusuf Al Ghifari, a representative of the residents, gave the
\ncity only until the end of the year to close the brothels down
\nbecause they had frequently created disturbances among local
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
\"If the administration doesn't speed up the closure process,
\nwe won't be responsible if something bad happens. We aren't
\nthreatening you but it's just a warning,\" he told Deputy Governor
\nfor Social Welfare Affairs Djailani, who talked with 10 of the
\ndemonstrators.<\/p>\n
Yusuf considered the administration's insistence to close the
\ncenter at the end of 1999 as too long.<\/p>\n
The city's plans to relocate the 11-hectare prostitution
\ncomplex, founded in the early 1970s, have been discussed
\nintermittently since the 1980s.<\/p>\n
A study concluded that an average of 3,000 customers visit the
\ncomplex daily. Over 1,600 prostitutes and 258 brothel staff work
\nin the area.<\/p>\n
Djailani said yesterday that the administration had finally
\ndecided to close down the center by the end of 1999 instead of
\nrelocating it.<\/p>\n
\"There is no longer a plan to move it to the Thousand Islands
\nor Rawa Malang, both in North Jakarta, as was previously
\ndiscussed. We don't want to relocate it since that would be the
\nsame as sanctioning prostitution,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators, including women and students, waved posters
\nreading \"Kramat Tunggak: Harassment of Women's Dignity\", \"Kramat
\nTunggak Sex Market\" and \"Sexual Harassment is Happening in the
\nCountry\".<\/p>\n
Hermansyah, one of the residents, said the brothel should have
\nbeen burned during last May's riots.<\/p>\n
\"I forgot to target Kramat Tunggak during the burnings last
\nMay,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yusuf said local residents had made threats if the result of
\nyesterday's negotiation did not satisfy them. A group of women
\nfrom a local Islamic study group is reportedly planning to drive
\nthe prostitutes away.<\/p>\n
He said if the women's efforts failed, another group of men
\nand youths from the neighborhood's mosques would destroy the
\ndistrict after Friday prayers the following week.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want such a disgraceful thing to happen. So the
\nadministration should listen to the people's voice,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Djailani stressed, however, that the closure process would
\nhave to take time since the center's workers were also human
\nbeings. \"We cannot just drive them away. We should instead use a
\nhumane approach.\"<\/p>\n
Djailani said the administration had made efforts to solve the
\nprostitution problem, including limiting the number of sex
\nworkers and urging those over 35 years old to quit. It has also
\noffered sewing and beauty classes to prepare prostitutes for a
\nnew profession.<\/p>\n
\"But we should also realize that it takes time. I hope people
\ncan understand,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the threats of burning the brothel, Djailani
\nsaid he hoped people would be patient.<\/p>\n
\"Anarchy won't solve the problem,\" he said. (ind)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/residents-threaten-to-destroy-red-light-district-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }