City residents celebrate Independence day in style

JAKARTA (JP): Jakartans celebrated yesterday Indonesia's 52nd independence day by participating in flag raising ceremonies and various traditional activities.

Civil servants, employees of several private firms and schoolchildren joined the flag-hoisting ceremonies at their respective offices and schools in the morning.

The atmosphere grew merrier in the afternoon, when activities such as the tug-of-war, sack race, ornamented bicycle parade and areca-nut tree climbing race, were held in residential areas throughout the city.

Similar activities were conducted at the Kramat Tunggak red- light district in North Jakarta, where hundreds of sex workers, including pimps, together with local residents, took part.

The sex workers were obliged to take part in the flag-hoisting ceremony in the center of the brothel complex in the morning, Aboe Paloy, chief of the local security post, said.

He said the activities were intended to remind them of the importance of independence day.

"I told them during the ceremony about the struggle of our heroes for independence," he said. The ceremony was also attended by security guards and three neighborhood chiefs.

The highlight of the celebration was traditional entertainment such as the Tarling, in the evening.

Business at the complex has been affected since Saturday due to the celebration, according to Sarkim, a parking attendant at the brothel.

He said there were usually between 70 and 100 men at the brothel after office hours. "But you see there are only a handful of cars parked here now," he said.

Unlike traditional celebrations held in the past, Pelita Ilmu Foundation, a non-governmental AIDS organization, in cooperation with residents of Kebon Baru in Tebet, South Jakarta, held a more creative event called Agustusan dengan ikan (The celebration of independence day with fish) Saturday.

About 200 people crowded the yard of South Jakarta's Art Building. The event, led by head of the Indonesian AIDS Society Zubairi Djoerban, started with the sale of 250 kilograms of fresh fish at cheap prices.

It was followed by a drawing contest with the theme: "My country is abundant in fish." There was also a fish cooking competition in which 40 people took part.

"This program is intended to improve public's awareness of AIDS," said Zubairi, who is also a lecturer at the University of Indonesia's Medical School.

"As South Jakarta was chosen for the pilot project area for the fish cooking movement to be launched by Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, we thought we could combine the campaign with ours," he added.

Meanwhile, several prisoners in Cipinang in Jakarta, Paledang in Bogor, and Tangerang in West Java, had their prison terms reduced in observance of independence day celebrations yesterday.

Five hundred and sixty prisoners of the Cipinang jail were given between one and eight months jail term remission, said Soebari of Cipinang jail. "Out of the 560 prisoners, 42 have been freed," he said.

Head of the Counseling Unit of Paledang jail, Rudi CH Gill, said 104 prisoners were given between one and four months jail term remission.

Gill said remission was given to prisoners who had been sentenced with more than one year imprisonment.

"Ten out of the 104 prisoners were freed," Gill said.

In Tangerang, 60 prisoners from five penitentiaries were freed while 576 others were given between one to six month remissions of their jail term.

Those who were freed yesterday were also given Rp 20,000 (US$7.4) to cover their transportation costs home.

One prisoner who was released, Julkipli, 20, said he hoped God would forgive him and neighbors in Perumnas I Tangerang housing complex would receive him back into the community. (jun/cst/04/24/41)