Kalijodo demolition continues, residents vow to fight on

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.