`I'm skeptical the evictions are serious'

City Public Order officers evicted street vendors in front of the Harco Shopping Center in Glodok, West Jakarta on Dec. 9. Many of them sold pirated Video Compact Disks (VCDs), including blue movies, and also disrupted the traffic. Many of them, however, have resumed operations. Some residents talk to The Jakarta Post about the issue.

Honi, 55, a vendor selling VCDs at Roxy, West Jakarta for about one year. She lives nearby:

I guess the eviction of the VCD vendors in Glodok has been to no avail. It's just a game between security forces and the street vendors.

I have been arrested three times. I realize that I'm wrong to sell illegal VCDs, but there is a high demand, including from low-income people.

Those VCDs belong to my boss, the supplier. Everytime I am arrested, my boss spends between Rp 10 million and Rp 40 million to set me free and return the confiscated merchandise.

Last month a police detective came to raid me, but I ran and called my boss. He came and told the police that he knew his supervisor so the police did not conduct the raid. My boss only bought him a cell phone voucher worth Rp 100,000.

The eviction, I believe, will not stop vendors from selling the illegal VCDs, including the pornography.

Should the eviction be held to raid the illegal producers, the small vendors would have less items to sell, then.

It would only be effective if the police take serious measures to arrest the top VCD producers.

Eka, a public minivan driver plying Tanah Abang to Kota. He lives in South Jakarta:

I rarely buy the VCDs at Glodok. But I know that Glodok is the center for cheap illegal VCDs, including the porn, which are displayed openly.

Honestly I agree with the eviction because those street vendors disrupt the traffic almost all day long.

But if they should be moved to a new location, I'm afraid that they would suffer sluggish business as there would be less visitors.

But I'm skeptical whether or not the eviction is serious. I think money is much more powerful to buy powerful officers to protect the business.

Or, it might be the legal shop owners who asked the city public order officers or police to evict the street vendors to make their own legal businesses run well.

Henry, 31, a sailor who has been working for a year on a cruise ship. He resides in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta:

Glodok is famous for its cheap VCDs. I used to go there to get new VCDs with cheap prices. Sometimes I took my friends there to buy porn VCDs too.

I am fond of going to that place because, as buyers, we have a lot to choose from.

On the other hand, I also realize that the street vendors are so uncontrollable that they almost block the thoroughfare. It results in traffic congestion at the location.

I agree with the eviction so as to put the city in order and the relocation of the vendors. But the new location should be accessible to the public.

Jose, 31, an unemployed man who lives with his wife and daughter in Pulomas, East Jakarta:

Glodok is well-known for its pirated cassettes and VCDs. I like to go there to buy some VCDs as there are many choices. I prefer to buy the porn ones. They are sold so openly that we are not ashamed of browsing the collection.

Pirated VCDs are much cheaper than the original ones.

I disagree with the City Public Order Officers' crackdown on the vendors.

Glodok is recognized with its image of cheap merchandise with its wide selection of goods. Let the vendors run their businesses there because people know the place.

If they are relocated, I myself will feel reluctant to go to the new location.

-- Leo Wahyudi S