Authorities vow to phase out red-light district

JAKARTA (JP): The municipality will phase out the city's only officially recognized red-light district in Kramat Tunggak, North Jakarta, Deputy Governor for Welfare Affairs Djailani said yesterday.

Prostitution will be eliminated gradually to prevent confusion for those living in the district or surrounding areas, he said without disclosing the steps to be taken.

"I can't tell you now because we're still discussing it. But one thing is for sure, we will not eliminate it by moving the complex to another area," Djailani said.

He refuted allegations that the city administration was still considering relocating the complex, which was established in the 1970s, to previously proposed areas such as the Thousand Islands and Rawa Malang, both in North Jakarta.

Plans to relocate the red-light district have been proposed every so often since it was first brought up by city officials in the 1980s.

"Relocating the complex is the same as approving of prostitution, and we do not agree with that principle," he told reporters after a closed meeting on the matter yesterday.

Djailani said the government would take the time to consider all aspects before deciding on the best solution.

Ida Mawaddah Noor, city councilor of Commission E for welfare affairs, sympathized with the administration's decision not to relocate the brothel complex, saying it would just create other problems.

"Ideally, because of unmanageable growth, it should be relocated to another possible or suitable area for the sake of the future of the children in Kramat Tunggak," Ida told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

She said prostitution practices in Kramat Tunggak could obstruct the upbringing of children in the area.

Ida said that dealing with prostitution was not easy because it did not only affect the prostitutes, pimps and customers, but also the public transportation drivers and even vendors who sold drinks and snacks in the area.

Relocating the red-light district would not solve the problem either, she added.

"It even tends to create new problems. This was proven right, for example, when people in the proposed areas strongly rejected the idea."

Ida said prostitutes should be encouraged to shift to other professions by providing them with some practical training, including cooking, sewing and beauty classes.

She admitted that the city administration had faced difficulties in eliminating the practice.

"They don't have adequate funds to support the training and rehabilitation programs. And it gets even worse because many of the prostitutes have never taken the training seriously.

"It is difficult to help them if they do not cooperate," she said. (cst)