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)