Women's group calls for red-light district removal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Women's organizations are pressing the city
\nadministration to move the prostitution complex from the Kramat
\nTunggak area, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"We want to present an official request to the House of
\nRepresentatives to move the prostitution complex to an island,"
\nTiting Saptadji, the chairperson of the Women's Organizations
\nCooperating Body, said on Wednesday. She did not say, however,
\nwhether new social problems could be avoided should the complex
\nbe moved.<\/p>\n
Titing said the removal of the red-light district would be a
\nstep towards curbing the spread of the prostitution network in
\nthe city, Antara reported yesterday.<\/p>\n
"It's not possible to wipe out prostitution in the capital as
\nlong as supply and demand remain high," Titing said while
\nproviding guidance and counseling to prostitutes on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
During the guidance and counseling program, the prostitutes
\nare taught about, among other things, running cooperatives.<\/p>\n
The existence of the prostitution complex in Kramat Tunggak
\ncreates an unhealthy social environment for families living close
\nto the complex. "For the complex's organizers and pimps who don't
\nwant their own children drifting into the prostitution
\nbusinesses, the complex is also no good," she said.<\/p>\n
Kramat Tunggak red-light district is the only prostitution
\ncomplex acknowledged by the city administration.<\/p>\n
The 11.5 hectare complex was established in 1972 by the city
\nadministration as an attempt to unite all brothels around the
\ncity in one complex.<\/p>\n
Kramat Tunggak prostitutes reportedly earn between Rp 25,000
\nto Rp 30,000 per hour.<\/p>\n
City social affairs agency records indicate that abut 700
\nprostitutes leave the complex every year. The agency has ruled
\nthat the complex can accept no more than 500 new prostitutes per
\nyear, in an attempt to reduce prostitution.<\/p>\n
Currently, about 1,800 prostitutes gather at the complex. The
\ncomplex has a total of 2,500 rooms.<\/p>\n
The secretary of the Women's Organizations Cooperation Body,
\nDani Soepandhi, said that efforts to rehabilitate the prostitutes
\nwould be futile as long as large numbers of women from other
\ntowns in Java continue to migrate to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"Cooperation with other women's organizations in the provinces
\nwhich send women to Jakarta is necessary. Let's be frank in
\nsaying that most prostitutes in Kramat Tunggak hail from
\nIndramayu, West Java and Jepara, Central Java," Mrs. Soepandhi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, city authorities have demolished five illegal
\nbrothel houses in the complex.<\/p>\n
The head of the entertainment supervision agency at the city's
\npublic order office, Toha Reno, said yesterday that the five
\nhouses were built without proper documents.<\/p>\n
"The houses are not covered by the proper permits from the
\nNorth Jakarta mayoralty or the city social agency," Toha said.<\/p>\n
"The houses must be demolished despite owners' claims that
\nthey have obtained approval from the head of the complex," he
\nsaid. "The demolition order was signed by the deputy governor for
\ngovernment affairs," he added.<\/p>\n
An official of the city social agency also approved of the
\ndemolition, saying that his agency had no intentions of
\nincreasing the number of rooms in the complex.<\/p>\n
"Kramat Tunggak is also meant to function as a rehabilitation
\ncenter for prostitutes. We have decided that new prostitutes must
\nnot outnumber the rehabilitated prostitutes," M. Sihombing, the
\nhead of the agency's rehabilitation department said.<\/p>\n
In 1989, the complex began functioning as prostitute
\nrehabilitation center, offering prostitutes courses and training.<\/p>\n
The city administration has been tougher on illegal
\nprostitution complexes, including the notorious Pejompongan Indah
\ncomplex in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The mayoralty has ordered the brothel operators to close down
\ntheir businesses, and some 30 brothel houses have been sealed off
\nsince March. Rumors said a low-cost apartment building would be
\nbuilt in the area. The mayoralty, however, has refused to
\ncomment. Many of the Central Jakarta complex's prostitutes have
\nreportedly moved to Kramat Tunggak. (yns\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/womens-group-calls-for-red-light-district-removal-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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