70 fined during judical operation

JAKARTA (JP): Seventy Jakartans were rounded up and fined in an on-the-spot "trial" yesterday as part of the ongoing operation aimed at improving sagging local discipline.

Fines ranged from several thousand rupiahs to a maximum of Rp 50,000 ($22) during a sting on the streets of Central Jakarta.

The operation targeted people without ID cards, newcomers who failed to report to their neighborhood chiefs after 16 days and those holding expired ID cards.

Nurzul Noor, the head of the Central Jakarta chapter of the Jakarta Population Office told The Jakarta Post that all the violators opted to pay fines instead of doing time in jail.

A 1991 regulation states that anyone who does not have a valid ID card is subject to a fine of Rp 50,000 or a maximum of three months in jail.

"We mean to uphold this rule," he affirmed.

The operation in the Sumur Batu subdistrict in Central Jakarta involved officials from the Central Jakarta population office, the district police, land transportation office, the district court and the prosecutors' office.

Noor said that the operation aims to improve public awareness of the importance of ID cards. "Imagine if something unexpected were to happen to someone traveling without an identity card," he said. (32)