City continues public order operation for APEC

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration continues in its operation to sweep sidewalk and street vendors, street singers, hookers and transvestites from major roads during the current meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Kusnaeni Budiantoro, head of the public order bureau, told reporters yesterday that at present his officers had detained 32 street vendors, 12 street singers, 60 hookers, 20 transvestites, 286 beggars and squatters and 12 "jockeys" for the three-in-one traffic zones.

The law enforcement officers also confiscated 2,486 illegal street advertisements and banners, he said.

Toha Reno, staff of the public order bureau, said that basically such an operation is routinely conducted by the city authorities.

"The public order operation in the city has been intensified to make the city clean during the current APEC meeting," Toha said.

Kusnaeni said that the operation, which started 45 days before the APEC summit meeting on Nov. 15 and is expected to end 14 days after the meeting, is being conducted in conjunction with the Jakarta Military Command, the City Police, the City Land Transportation and Traffic Control Agency and the City Social Welfare office.

He said that a total of 3,960 officers were involved and that the operation is conducted 24-hour-a-day, and is divided into 4 shifts in 10 sectors, including 31 dangerous areas, throughout the city.

He explained that the operation is concentrated on the main streets, alternative roads, hotel areas and the conference places.

Kusnaeni also said that the operation has demolished a total of 1,618 illegal buildings constructed on lands owned by the state.

Toha said that the arrested vendors, hookers, transvestites and jockeys have been handed over to the city office of social welfare while goods confiscated from the vendors were sent to the public order office's warehouses.

"The owners are allowed to reclaim their belongings after paying administrative fees," Toha said. (yns)