57 stalls razed amid vice charge

57 stalls razed amid vice charge

TANGERANG (JP): Local public order officers bulldozed at least
57 sidewalk stalls in Kosambi district Wednesday on grounds they
fronted for prostitution practices.

Irate owners of the kiosks in Tahang and Dadap subdistricts
tried to prevent the officers, who were accompanied by Moslem
preachers and dozens of housewives, from carrying out the action.
The argument descended into stone throwing between the groups.

A local resident sustained a head injury in the fray.

Kosambi district head Hermansyah, who led the demolition
operation, repeatedly asked the stall owners to be calm, but his
call went unheeded.

Police officers and soldiers finally managed to mediate
between the two camps.

As soon as the stone pelting subsided, bulldozers moved in to
demolish the stalls and their contents.

Only a handful of prostitutes were seen during the demolition,
probably because their panderers learned of the demolition plan
and evacuated them.

"Actually, hundreds of prostitutes operate here on regular
days," said a public order officer who asked not to be named.

The demolition led to more disappointment for prospective
customers, who could not find the women at their usual haunt on
Jl. Kramat in Teluk Naga. (41/jun)