City administration to hold public order operation

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)