City Hall bans traders of pirated VCDs in Glodok

City Hall bans traders of pirated VCDs in Glodok

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration announced on Monday that
traders of pirated VCDs are prohibited to run their businesses at
the area around the Glodok Harco building complex.

"Street vendors are welcome to run their business as usual at
the area as long as they don't sell pirated or pornographic
discs," Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi
told reporters at a media conference at City Hall.

Some 300 vendors of pirated VCDs have been selling their
merchandise to locals and foreigners from stalls occupying the
entire front part of the complex, the sidewalk and a big part of
the street located in front of the building, Jl. Hayam Wuruk.

The vendors ran amok on Saturday after police conducted a
morning raid against them. The incident turned into a large riot
when groups of youths joined the vendors and vandalized and
burned a number of buildings and shops along the busy streets of
Jl. Gajah Mada and Jl. Hayam Wuruk and adjacent areas.

According to Kahfi, the rioting caused damages to buildings
and shops alone of an estimated Rp 1.440 billion (US$180,000).

The amount, he said, excluded financial losses suffered by
traders and shop owners, who had to close their businesses during
the weekend.

A McDonald's outlet at Gadjah Mada Plaza and a BMW show room
suffered the largest damages of some Rp 500 million each.

Rioters also damaged city facilities, including scores of
traffic lights and concrete flower boxes.

Kahfi said that it was the hope of the city administration
that businessmen and other street vendors in the area could
resume normal business operations as soon as possible.

Data from the city administration reveals that Harco Glodok
alone is home to some 600 street vendors, 300 of whom are selling
pirated VCDs of movies, karaoke, and pornography.

In general, the overall situation at the predominantly Chinese
business district was secure on Monday, although burned spots on
some buildings and shards of shattered windows still colored the
area.

The damaged Hoka Hoka Bento and McDonald's outlets at Gadjah
Mada Plaza opened their businesses as usual with workers seen
fixing broken windows.

Many shop owners were unable to open their businesses as the
Harco Glodok shopping center was still sealed off by some 50
police officers deployed to safeguard the area.

Some shop owners were seen cleaning up their stores and
merchandise.

Many of the businessmen planned to resume business on Tuesday
because the stores are their main sources of earnings. However,
many said that their activities will depend on the security in
the area.

"We have to open the stores as soon as possible because closed
shops still have expenses. Besides that, we want to tell
customers that we're still here," one audio store owner said.

But some traders daringly opened their shops already.

"I think the situation is safe now," said one shop owner.

Januar, a staff employee of PT Harco Indah, which manages the
Harco Glodok building, said tenants of the 600 stores in the
building met with the management on Monday morning to discuss
their plans and the security of the area.

According to him, rioters set ablaze two audio stores at Harco
Glodok on Monday.

He explained that management will focus efforts to repair the
building and its facilities so store owners can resume their
businesses.

Januar insisted that store owners actually have no problems
with traders of pirated VCDs.

"Both can run their businesses together because both traders
are selling different types of goods," he said.

Another store owner added: "They pose no threat to us, but we
did not know that they would react in such a violent way to the
raid conducted by the police."

According to Jakarta Police chief May. Gen. Nurfaizi, his men
have detained eight men in connection with the incident.

"Five of them have been named as suspects," he said briefly.

A police source identified the five as Endang Mariyadi,
believed to have started the rioting, Herry Tampubolon, fighting
against policemen, Syamsir Marbura, charged with arson, Daniel
Simatupang, charged with vandalism, and lastly, Mohammad
Firmansyah, arrested for possession of 39 illegal VCDs.

Separately, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
regretted on Monday the police raid.

"We think that the momentum in conducting the raid was not
right. Why did the police conduct the raid on May 13?" Akbar
said, referring to the mass riots which hit the city two years
ago.

He said he would soon summon National Police chief Lt. Gen.
Rusdihardjo and question him about the Glodok raid.

He said he would ask Rusdihardjo to explain why the raid was
conducted by National Police officers instead of the local West
Jakarta Police.

"Today or tomorrow, I will telephone the National Police
chief," said Akbar, who is also the chairman of the Golkar Party.

Although supporting the purpose of the raid to crack down on
pirated VCDs, Akbar feared the negative image caused by the riots
could hamper the nation's economic recovery efforts.
(09/06/nvn/ylt/jun)