City operation nets 9,600 people without IDs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City administration has netted a total of 9,600 people who do not have identity cards (IDs) during an operation that began early this year. The operation was focused on rented houses and small industries like garment firms.

Head of the city population and marriage registration agency Silviana Murni told the media on Tuesday that the fingerprints of the people netted during the operation were taken.

"The operation will continue as we believe that there are still many people without local IDs living in the city," she said.

To obtain a Jakarta ID, a number of documents are required including a letter citing one's move to Jakarta from the village and subdistrict heads and a police clearance.

The documents are required under city Bylaw No. 196/2001.

The Jakarta Post observed how people were easily able to obtain IDs at subdistrict offices here without those documents after paying between Rp 100,000 (US$11.6) and Rp 150,000 to certain officials.

The city administration does not officially receive money from ID applicants but most of them have to pay subdistrict officials in order to obtain the ID.

The ID raids at rented houses in the city were intensified, following the beginning of the military operation in Aceh on May 19. The policy received strong criticism as the Acehnese people have become the target of the raids.

The population agency has data on 200 Acehnese who have arrived in the city following the military operation, said Silviana. But she said none of them had ID problems as most of them were accommodated by their families here.