Hotel Mega told to suspend entertainment
JAKARTA (JP): East Jakarta Mayor Andi Mapaganti said on Friday that he had ordered the management of Hotel Mega Matra on Jl. Matraman Raya to discontinue its entertainment services to avoid more attacks by residents of nearby Berlan Army housing complex.
"I will send an official letter to the hotel ordering it to stop its entertainment services. Meanwhile, the hotel's management has already stopped its live music programs," Andi said at City Hall.
He also urged the hotel's management to dismiss its security guards for their alleged involvement in the torture of a Berlan resident.
The management has been advised to donate some money to relatives of the victim, he said.
The victim was questioned at the Jakarta Military Police Headquarters in Guntur, South Jakarta, but was later rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for medical treatment.
Upon hearing of their fellow resident's death, Berlan youths, attacked and attempted to burn the hotel.
Residents of Berlan subdistrict have been involved in fights, over various reasons, with residents in the Palmeriam and Kayumanis subdistricts for years. The Palmeriam residents are known as "operators" of the on-street parking near the hotel.
The city administration recently built a three-meter-high iron fence along the median strip of Jl Matraman to keep the Berlan, and Palmeriam and Kayumanis residents from clashing. The effort appears to be fruitless as clashes between the neighboring communities are still occurring.
Governor Sutiyoso has repeatedly expressed his concern over the brawls in Matraman.
"It's very sad, how could they (brawls) happen in one area for years," Sutiyoso said on Friday.
However, Andi said this week's brawl was not between residents of Berlan and Kayumanis.
"It's different from previous brawls. Kayumanis residents, used to fight Berlan residents in the past. But in this incident, Kayumanis residents supported Berlan residents (in their fight against the hotel's security guards)," he said. (jun)