KISDI protest against gambling

KISDI protest against gambling

JAKARTA (JP): About 200 members of the Indonesian Committee
for World Muslim Solidarity (KISDI) demonstrated in front of City
Hall on Thursday demanding the city administration put a stop to
gambling activities in the capital.

Arriving in three buses, the protesters, calling themselves
Jundullah (God's soldiers), unfurled posters objecting to the
mushrooming gambling in the city.

Protest leader Ahmad Sumargono said his group had conducted a
survey and found gambling activities at Omni Batavia Hotel in the
downtown Kota area and at Prinsen Park Hotel in Mangga Besar,
both in West Jakarta.

"We know that Omni Batavia Hotel stopped its gambling
activities two days ago. But the hotel might resume the business
soon," Sumargono said in a meeting with the city administration's
executives.

He showed an advertisement in Aktual tabloid, promoting
illegal gambling dens in the two hotels. The advertisements
stated that the gamblers' safety is guaranteed.

He told city officials to take stern action against the two
hotels, saying otherwise the group would act to stop them.

Sumargono said KISDI also demanded that the city take stern
action against the mushrooming togel (toto gelap) gambling.

Gambling is illegal, while togel or judi buntut is a highly
popular game here. Gamblers choose two or four numbers, and the
winning numbers are announced every two to three days by game
operators.

Offering substantial cash prizes for winners, togel has
captured the hopes of many less fortunate people affected by the
economic crisis. (jun)