Ciledug traders refuse to be relocated

TANGERANG: Ciledug traders are adamant they will not be moved to a new planned market near Ciledug bus depot despite the demolition of their kiosk by public order officers.

The traders claim the planned market is not as strategically located and does not have 24-hour transportation, Grassroots Youth Movement's action coordinator Munatzir said on Sunday.

After a week of tension between members of the Ciledug Market Traders Association and the Public Order Office, hundreds of armed civilians in black attire attacked and burned down the remaining kiosks in Ciledug market over the weekend.

The traders claim they had run their business for four years in the area, which is near Ciledug Plaza, but the local administration was evicting them on the grounds that their contracts with PT Bogasari had expired, plus their presence caused traffic jams in the area.

"We never made any contract with any party to occupy the area, and traffic jams have always been present here," said Munatzir, who suspected that the government engineered the eviction of the traders. --JP