Thugs continue to terrorize Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration, city police and military have
\nlaunched a month-long campaign against thugs in the capital. The
\nfollowing is the first of a series of articles on thugs, who
\ncontinue to instill fear in Jakarta residents.<\/p>\n
It is 1 a.m. as Vicky, 24, steps out of a public bus and rushes
\ntoward a minivan waiting for passengers on Jl. Mayjen Sutoyo
\nacross from the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) in East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Before he can get into the minivan, Vicky, who works as a
\nhotel employee in South Jakarta, is stopped by three mean-looking
\nmen who demand that he surrender all of his money.<\/p>\n
Fearing that he might be hurt by the three thugs, Vicky gives
\nan envelop containing his first month's salary to the three.<\/p>\n
\"I didn't even know the exact amount of money inside the
\nenvelope I received that day,\" said Vicky, adding that the
\nenvelope was still sealed.<\/p>\n
Instead of helping Vicky, dozens of people at the crime site
\nlooked on impassively. Some even fled, perhaps out of fear that
\nthey would fall prey to the hoodlums.<\/p>\n
After taking the envelope, the thugs asked where he was living
\nand gave him back some small change; just enough to reach home.<\/p>\n
Luckily, Vicky was not hurt, even though he arrived home
\nempty-handed after waiting for his first salary for one month.
\nVicky had just started working at a hotel in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I gave them my money because I saw someone being stabbed one
\nnight by several thugs who dominate the UKI area,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On another occasion, three young women were taking a taxi to a
\nfive-star hotel on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta at around
\n6 p.m. to eat together.<\/p>\n
On the way to the hotel four men stopped the taxi on Jl. K.H.
\nMas Mansyur in Tanah Abang market.<\/p>\n
One man stood in front of the car, one at the right rear door,
\none at the rear left and another at the back leaning on the
\ntrunk.<\/p>\n
The man at the rear left door suddenly opened the unlocked
\ndoor and demanded cash from the three girls.<\/p>\n
\"What do you want?\" asked Pingkan Juliatrixe, who sat in the
\nfront in a low voice.<\/p>\n
\"We want your money!\" the man outside said.<\/p>\n
With courage Pingkan said that she did not have much money and
\nthat she had just finished work in a building located one block
\nfrom the crime site.<\/p>\n
The thug, however, kept on asking for money. \"We need money so
\nwe can eat,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Fearing for her life, Pingkan pulled out a Rp 20,000 bill from
\nher purse and gave it to the men, who immediately let the taxi
\ngo.<\/p>\n
The two incidents are just some of the frightening encounters
\nwith the omnipresent thugs in the capital.<\/p>\n
Thugs are virtually everywhere in the city of some 12 million
\npeople. Shopping centers, markets, malls, hospitals, traffic
\nlights and even housing complexes are common places for thugs to
\noperate, who freely extort money from people.<\/p>\n
Traders at both modern and traditional markets in the capital
\nare required to pay protection money of between Rp 5,000 and Rp
\n25,000 per day, depending on what they sell, to thugs operating
\nin their area.<\/p>\n
The city administration, police and military launched a month-
\nlong campaign against thugs two weeks ago across the capital and
\nhave so far arrested close to 1,000 hoodlums. None of them,
\nhowever, have been charged.<\/p>\n
Experts doubt, however, that the move could wipe out thugs
\nfrom the city, saying that the drive would only force them to go
\nunderground and return when the operation was over. (004)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thugs-continue-to-terrorize-jakarta-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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