Kalijodo demolition continues, residents vow to fight on

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In spite of being threatened by combative residents, supported by local hoodlums, the city administration managed to demolish several buildings in the notorious Kalijodo brothel and gambling complex.

At 12 noon some 50 local residents, comprising of pimps and sex workers, tried to prevent the Public Order officers from entering the complex, which consists of some 400 gambling parlors and brothels.

The situation was tense when several hoodlums tried to provoke local residents into resisting the Public Order officer's efforts to demolish their buildings.

However, the head of North Jakarta Public Order Office, Tonni Boediono managed to calm the crowd by withdrawing the tractors from the site.

An hour later when the crowd had calmed, the tractors moved forward into the complex destroying several buildings, isolating the crowds by blocking the complex main pathway with the debris.

Then the officers managed to demolish the remaining buildings, which were still in tact after a fire during the gangster brawl on Feb. 22.

However, when the officers were trying to demolish other buildings in the center of the brothel, local residents blocked their way. Several hoodlums were even seen carrying knives, crowbars, swords, and wooden sticks.

To prevent a brawl with the Public Order officers, Tonni Boediono decided to postpone the demolition as there were insufficient police to back up the eviction.

"I don't know why there were only a few police around. Unlike the last time when I evicted illegal squatters along the West Flood Canal, there were at least 100 police. I've asked them for several companies of police", said Tonni.

Tonni added that on Feb. 27 he will bring more personnel to evict the remaining residents.

The North Jakarta Police only deployed 20 personnel as back up for the Public Order officers, while the city administration deployed at least 500 Public Order officers from North and West Jakarta.

Mami Ineng, one of the residents whose house was about to be demolished told The Jakarta Post that she and other residents demanded compensation or resettlement.

"If the administration refuses to give compensation, we will resist with force, with the assistance of the hoodlums", asserted Mami who managed a three-story brothel.

Mami, who earned at least Rp 15 million per month from the brothel, added that every year she paid her land and building tax amounting to Rp 200,000.

Another pimp, Gondo, who had lost seven brothels in the previous brawl already, and was about to lose another one, said emotionally that he would deploy his hired men (local hoodlums) to fight the Public Order officers from demolishing his four- story building.

Gondo illegally established the four-story building in 1999 on state land, spending almost Rp 1 billion.

"I've paid Rp 250,000 in building tax every year. Now they want to tear it down? We'll see about that", he said.

Reang, one of the hoodlums who was carrying a klewang (traditional sword), echoed Gondo's words, adding that he and his friend would maintain the place as it was their source of livelihood.

"If they dare to step further into this place then it will be war", said Reang bitterly.