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.