'Clean' visitors have the right to protest

'Clean' visitors have the right to protest

JAKARTA (JP): Nightspot patrons who are not found violating
any laws have the right to sue the police or military officers
who search them and bring the glare of publicity upon them during
Ecstasy and sex crackdowns, a consumer advocate has said.

Referring to the continuous crackdowns against illicit drug
and sex transactions at discotheques, hotels and other
nightspots, Zoemrotin K. Soesilo, an executive of the Indonesian
Consumers Foundation, said on Saturday, that "clean" visitors
were having their privacy invaded.

TV viewers might wrongly think the people were suspects or
found guilty, she told The Jakarta Post. Innocent patrons of such
establishments could be deterred by such raids.

"The operations were unfair because all visitors were examined
as if they were criminals," she said.

"They should have had the courage to protest the unfavorable
treatment. They have the right to do so," she said.

The recent raids, carried out by dozens to hundreds of police
and military personnel, are causes of disagreement between
authorities, owners of hotels and nightspots, customers as well
as the public.

With strong support from the government, local authorities,
starting from the governor to chiefs of the Jakarta Police and
military, have vowed to continue their massive raids on the
establishments.

In the eyes of the establishments' managements, the operations
strongly affect their businesses and drive their customers away.

According to Zoemrotin, the raids should be aimed at the
managements, not the customers.

"The managements of the hotels, for instance, could be accused
of violating existing rules if they let unmarried couples check
in," she said.

"The existing rules stipulate that only a married couple, as
shown in their legal documents, are allowed to check into the
same room," Zoemrotin added.

Thus, she said, the police could arrest owners and managers of
hotels for violating the rule.

"I can't believe the managements of the discotheques or cafes,
for instance, have no notion about the use and transaction of
drugs, such as Ecstasy, at their places," she said.

"What I believe is that they let it happen to attract more
visitors," she said.

"That's why I'd like to suggest that the authorities take
harsh punishment against hotels and nightspot operators rather
than inspecting the customers which could only introduce another
problem," she said.

The city administration has warned that any establishments
found to be used for Ecstasy deals will face possible closure, a
threat that has sparked controversy.

The Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union, for instance, has
expressed concern about further unemployment if the discos or
hotels or other nightspots were closed down because of Ecstasy.

Zoemrotin also criticized the widely televised coverage of the
massive operation, asking why apprehended females were
concentrated upon in the coverage and not the males.

During the raids against prostitution at the hotels, for
example, the television stations could have screened the males,
some of who might have been executives, in an attempt to teach
them a lesson.

"Showing just the prostitutes will help us in no way in our
efforts to stop prostitution here," said Zoemrotin. (bsr)