Hoodlums targeted as city wipes its slate clean

Hoodlums targeted as city wipes its slate clean

By Edith Hartanto

JAKARTA (JP): Throughout 1997 the city administration has
conducted 124 cleanup operations targeting illegal slum dwellers,
hoodlums and "jockeys" (who hitch a ride for a fee so motorists
can enter restricted traffic zones).

The most stunning cleanup was the war against the
"untouchable" hoodlums in Tanah Abang last month.

Hoodlums have acted licentious throughout the year, stirring
up trouble in Tanah Abang market, Central Jakarta because city
authorities had been unable to silence them until last month.

The all-out offensive on hoodlums was sparked by a mass strike
of minivan drivers protesting the illegal levies hoodlums were
forcing them to pay. The strike followed a series of complaints
by residents and vendors of Tanah Abang who were also disturbed
by goings-on in the neighborhood.

At least 67 alleged hoodlums were rounded up and forced to
participate in a rehabilitation program at Ragunan Sports
Dormitory in South Jakarta. They were released early this month.

The massive operation against hoodlums was long overdue
because their activities had become almost uncontrollably in the
area, where they ran illegal gambling and prostitution
businesses.

The revamping of Tanah Abang includes the demolition of 44
buildings believed to be the hangouts of hoodlums, slums in the
Bongkaran red-light district, 91 dimly lit kiosks and slums along
the nearby riverbanks.

Local residents, including those from Kampung Bali, gave their
total support to the operation because they too were fed up with
the situation.

Ridwan Saidi, a noted social expert and a native Jakartan
(Betawi), once said that the hoodlums had gone to far when they
started irritating the Betawi people in Tanah Abang.

"Betawi people have stayed here for decades. But these
hoodlums act as if they own the area. We have been too patient
with (their behavior)."

After a major clash between two criminal gangs in the Tanah
Abang area last January, many law experts and criminologists were
convinced that a mafia-style underworld was emerging.

At that time, they warned that the hoodlums would become
stronger and be very difficult to crush if security forces failed
to take stern action once and for all.

They said the existence of hoodlums was mainly due to weak
police action. But many others believed that the criminals
amassed their strength from powerful backers, leaving the police
powerless.

This was perhaps why the minivan drivers went to the district
military office to register their complaints rather than the
police station.

But eventually the municipality decided to close the chapter
on Tanah Abang hoodlums by launching a simultaneous operation to
bring order to the whole area. So far, 22 hectares of the 41-
hectare plot designated for the clean up have been vacated.

The city plans to build low-cost apartments in Bongkaran and
clear the remaining 19 hectares by 2000.

A similar crackdown is being held in Senen market in Central
Jakarta where at least 70 alleged hoodlums have reportedly
controlled the area for a couple of years.

After Senen and Tanah Abang, the municipality plans to bring
order to Kramat Jati market in East Jakarta and several business
centers such as Kota and Glodok in West Jakarta.

Another 76 cleanup operations were launched on slum areas
throughout the city, which is estimated to have 275 slum areas,
in line with the city administration's slum eradication program.

This year's eradication efforts were conducted along the
riverbanks in accordance with the city's clean river program,
which began in 1995.

The city is expected to be slum-free by 2000, when the four-
stage operation is completed.

According to data from the city's housing agency, the first
stage dealt with the clearance of a 35,703-square-meter area
along Ciliwung riverbanks on Jl. Casablanca and Sensus IV.

The other three stages are the clearance of a 223,470-square-
meter plot in Sensus IV -- bordered by Jl. MT Haryono, Jl.
Manggarai and Jl. Slamet Riyadi -- to be completed next year; a
133,200-square-meter plot along Jl. Slamet Riyadi in Bukit Duri
Utara to be completed in 1999; and a 144,850-square-meter plot on
Jl. Casablanca in Bukit Duri Utara to be completed in 2000.

This program was conducted in line with the city's plan to
boost the construction of low-cost apartments.

The residents who live along the riverbanks have been told to
relocate because it is too dangerous, especially during the rainy
season, East Jakarta Mayor Sudarsono said.

They have been advised to move to nearby low-cost apartments,
such as those in Bidaracina and Klender in East Jakarta. They are
among the apartments developed by the city, which will eventually
provide 16,455 units.

Former governor Surjadi Soedirdja once said: "The only way to
enable this city to have a better, cleaner environment is to
ensure its residents at least have decent homes.

"As building horizontally is no longer possible due to land
shortages, building vertically is one of the best alternatives.

"So people will have no choice but to get used to living in
apartments," Surjadi, who aggressively campaign for the
development of low-cost apartments, said.

But burning down people's homes was not part of the big plan,
Surjadi said when he was accused of deliberately ordering the
burning of a number of slum areas to facilitate the construction
of apartments.

He was under attack in January when 63 fires were recorded,
mostly in densely populated areas, with a total damage bill of Rp
6 billion (US$2 million).

Dozens of other fires occurred in the first semester of this
year, leaving thousands of families homeless.

Another target of the cleanup was the jockeys, whose
activities have been blamed for the failure of the restricted
traffic zone, popularly known as the "three-in-one" system.

The policy, based on Law No. 14/1992, requires private cars to
carry at least three people when traveling along Jl. Gatot
Subroto, Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin between 6:30 a.m. and 10
a.m. on work days.

Instead of discouraging people from driving their cars to work
and prompting them to use public transportation, the policy --
which was introduced on April 20, 1992 -- created a new problem.
The jockeys -- people who offer themselves as passengers for the
short ride in the restricted zone and via police checkpoints --
usually ask for Rp 1,000 (20 US cents) a trip.

Initially, it was a pastime for young boys who went to school
in the afternoons. But lately, the army of jockeys has expanded
and now includes young girls and housewives with babies.

Police blame the jockeys for undermining the three-in-one
policy and defended their operation to round them up.

Over the last five years, at least 8,000 jockeys have been
disciplined but none have been charged with a crime.

They could only be charged under City Ordinance No.11/1988 for
disturbing public order, which carries a light sentence and/or
fine.

"Eventually the officers tend to let them go. They are too
poor to pay the fine or too young to be punished," Toha Reno from
the City Public Order Office said.

Despite the routine operations, however, there was no
significant result as can be seen from the 34 locations where
jockeys can still be found operating.

Governor Sutiyoso says he is open to suggestions on what
system should replace the ineffective three-in-one policy.

"I want responses from all members of society. I've decided to
do away with the three-in-one system but I will postpone it until
after the March general session of the People's Consultative
Assembly," he said.