Bongkaran red-light area cleaned up
Bongkaran red-light area cleaned up
JAKARTA (JP): A team led by Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur
Abdullah has cleared the Bongkaran red-light area in Tanah Abang
of hookers, gamblers, food vendors and owners of dim-light
kiosks.
The sudden operation on Wednesday, one day before the
beginning of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan, went smoothly
but sparked strong objections from the sex workers, vendors and
kiosk owners of Bongkaran, a vast area owned by state railway
company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).
"This mayoralty forbids prostitution. I will not legalize
this. I want them (the prostitutes) to leave the profession
although this is a hard task for us and will take time," Andi
told a media briefing after leading an inspection in the Tanah
Abang and Senen subdistricts.
The move by the mayoralty team was also designed to create
order in the district, in line with the city's policy during the
month of Ramadhan, as its office has imposed a curfew on night
spots and togel gambling dens.
Located near the busy Tanah Abang bus terminal, railway
station and textile market center, the site -- originally
designed for the loading and unloading of goods from and to
trucks -- has been known for decades as a popular place for cheap
prostitutes.
Along with the business of the prostitutes, gamblers and
street vendors rushed to the site looking for customers.
The illicit businesses of sex transactions and gambling dens
in Bongkaran have continued to operate well without serious
efforts by the local authorities to close them forever.
Public order officials, for example, once burned all the huts,
used either as gambling dens or modest brothels, but a few days
later the people built new huts and slowly ran their businesses
again.
During Wednesday's raid, some 200 prostitutes and
approximately 35 owners of food stalls and kiosks in Bongkaran
were badly disappointed after hearing that the mayoralty
seriously intended to put an end to their businesses, and not
only during the fasting month.
"I sell gado-gado (traditional salad with peanut sauce) here
and I'm not breaking any law. The mayor should have given us
other job alternatives and places to go," one of the residents
told a journalist who covered the team's assignment.
In response, Andi explained that the mayoralty's move was not
merely to clear the slum area, which is situated next to the
Banjir Kanal river.
"If PT KAI lets the mayoralty to manage the area, we'll build
a semi-permanent meeting hall for the local residents or a school
for the kids," the mayor said.
He pledged that the mayoralty would conduct an open dialogue
with the Bongkaran residents and prostitutes in the next few
days.
"We will give them (the sex workers) options, but we will not
allow them to go back to the area." Andi said, adding that his
office would offer the prostitutes a short term course or further
education.
During the team's visit to the Senen markets, Mayor Andi was
surprised to find that several street vendors had been levied up
to Rp 300,000 (US$45) per month by hoodlums in the markets.
"They have been charged for security by the jeger (local word
for hoodlums) because they sell outside the market's boundaries,
whereas in fact there are still empty clusters inside the market
area, which are cheaper," Andi said.
The team also found an operator of togel gambling at the Senen
market building who still runs the business although a notice
from the market's operator was issued a year ago informing
operators to temporarily stop the business on Wednesday and
Thursday, the beginning of the Ramadhan month.
"The notice indicates that the market's management are aware
of this illegal practice but have not done anything about it,"
Andi said, "I'll teach them a lesson."
He added that the team would carry out the inspection every
two days during the fasting month to monitor the operation of the
illegal businesses -- such as street vendors, togel, becak
(pedicab) and prostitution -- in four subdistricts, including the
Monas and Pasar Baru areas. (01)