Sat, 14 Apr 2001

City to eradicate hoodlums through major operation

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will launch an open- ended operation against some 1,300 hoodlums, locally known as preman, in the city's five mayoralties starting from Monday, Governor Sutiyoso said on Thursday.

"We have identified the hoodlums, including the places where they hang out," Sutiyoso told reporters after a coordinating meeting at City Hall.

Final preparations for the operation against the thugs were discussed at the meeting, which was also attended by Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo, Deputy Jakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara and Head of the Jakarta Prosecutors' Office Basrief Arief.

Sutiyoso said that not all of the hoodlums would be punished, citing that many would be monitored and possibly given jobs.

But, he said any thugs found violating the law such as extorting money or assaulting people, would be punished.

"The operation will begin at more or less the same time in the five mayoralties," he stated.

A city official said the administration, with the help of the police, had identified at least 19 leaders of the thugs who would be punished severely, citing the shoot-on-site order issued to police in respect of any of them trying to resist arrest.

The 19 bosses are believed to frequent 12 public places, including the Senen, Tanah Abang and Pasar Baru markets in Central Jakarta; the Kebayoran Lama and Blok M markets in South Jakarta; Tanjung Priok bus terminal in North Jakarta; Glodok market in West Jakarta; and Jatinegara market in East Jakarta.

Sutiyoso said the operation against the thugs would involve local residents, who would be deployed at several security posts, currently under construction in the markets and other business centers.

"Some selected local residents will be involved in the operation," he said.

He stressed that the operations would be conducted regularly until there were no more thugs operating in the markets and other public places.

Outgoing Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman said last week that some 800 police officers would be deployed as part of the operation. They would be assisted by at least 1,900 civilian police auxiliaries (Banpol) employed by the city administration.

Sulaiman said the officers would not hesitate to act resolutely against the hoodlums, including shooting them if necessary.

Sutiyoso said not all of the officers would be deployed everyday during the operation.

"We'll reduce the number of assigned officers if the activities of the thugs also decrease due to the operation," he said.

The governor has declared a war on the preman following brawls between Madurese people and native Jakarta (Betawi) people in the Kebayoran Lama and Tanah Abang markets last month, which claimed two lives.

Experts and activists, however, doubted the effectiveness of such an operation targeted at the hoodlums, saying that certain groups still used the hoodlums to protect their interests.

"Such an operation will be effective for a certain period of time. But in the future, they will emerge again as the root of the problem is poverty," criminologist Adrianus Meliala of the University of Indonesia said.

Human rights activist Azaz Tigor Nainggolan said such operations could create communal clashes between migrants and local people.

Tigor, who has been fighting for the rights of street vendors in South Jakarta, said the administration was believed to have hired hoodlums to serve its own interests in the past.

"Some preman in Jatinegara market are allowed to take levies from the vendors. They then pay the money over to the police, the mayoralty and the military," he said. (jun)