City administration to hold public order operation

JAKARTA (JP): With full backup from police and military personnel, city administration officials will start a massive public order operation on Monday to ensure public order in the capital, Governor Sutiyoso said on Thursday.

"I hope residents understand the need for such operation, which is aimed at restoring public order and enforcing existing regulations.

"Please don't consider it repressive action," he said in a prepared speech at a security gathering attended by 2,600 participants, including police and military personnel, task force members from several parties and students from several universities.

"We only have two options: to keep the present chaotic situation or to restore public order in Jakarta," he said, adding that the operation needed the full support of residents.

The gathering took place at National Monument (Monas) Park, which is in front of his office in the City Hall compound in Central Jakarta.

The governor also emphasized that security in the city was an important element in luring foreign investors to the country.

"How can we expect them to come here if they know it's not safe? Jakarta is the capital city and the image they have of it can reflect on rest of the country," Sutiyoso said.

"Once investors come here, residents will also reap the benefits, such as job opportunities," he added.

The main targets of the massive operation, he said, would include the increasing number of three-in-one jockeys, beggars, illegal traffic wardens, prostitutes, pedicab drivers and street vendors.

"Our main target is becak (pedicab) drivers, who have been banned from operating in the city since 1988," he said.

Separately interviewed, the chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Pungky Bambang Purwadi, announced that businesspeople supported any stern action taken by city authorities to ensure public order in the capital.

"We also support the plan to deploy sharp shooters in certain business and commerce centers to protect business activities on the grounds that they (the sharp shooters) will not be stationed in open places," he said at City Hall.

"But I don't think it's necessary to deploy police or military personnel to safeguard the centers. Not at the moment," he added.

During the May 1998 riots and a few weeks after, a large number of police officers and soldiers were deployed to guard business centers in Jakarta.

"The important thing is that the city authorities have to anticipate all possibilities of the public order operation," said Pungky, in reference to a riot in May in the busy Glodok electronics center of the city's Chinatown business area which was sparked by a police operation against street traders of pirated video compact discs. (nvn)