Kramat Tunggak facing sluggish business

Kramat Tunggak facing sluggish business

By A'an Suryana

JAKARTA (JP): The sparkling life at the Kramat Tunggak red-
light district, which is slated to be closed down next Wednesday,
has been on the decline for some time.

The slow business and slumbering atmosphere at the city's
oldest, largest and official sex business complex, located not
far from the busy Tanjung Priok port, can now be witnessed even
on weekends.

Last Friday evening, for example, many of the 221 brothels
inside the 10.4-hectare complex, which used to be home to 1,600
prostitutes, were empty.

Dozens of the remaining prostitutes were seen standing in
front of their respective dimly-lit brothels, with the noisy
sound of songs coming from giant speakers, waiting for customers.

The following day, the complex witnessed a similar atmosphere.

Motorcycles and cars parked in the complex's two large parking
lots only occupied less than half of the available space.

On the other hand, the two-lane street of Jl. Kramat Jaya in
front of the brothel complex was still crowded with passing
container trucks, taxis and motorcycles.

Several potential customers walked along the pathways of the
prostitution complex, searching for the right targets.

According to Asmat, a chicken satay vendor who has been
running his business at the complex for years, such a subdued
circumstance has gripped business in the area since last June's
general election.

"A large number of prostitutes here have gone back to their
respective hometowns (ahead of the city's plan to close the
brothel complex)," the 37-year-old food seller said.

Like many of the complex's occupants, Asmat and other street
vendors have remained doubtful about their business and future
after the closure of the complex.

"I, for example, should find other places where I can sell my
satay," Asmat said on Saturday.

Still tight

Notwithstanding the idle business in the red-light district,
the rules of games are still tight.

At 12:30 at midnight on Friday, for instance, one of the young
guards at the complex struck a mast several times -- a signal for
customers to immediately leave the rooms, prostitutes to stop
receiving clients, and brothel owners to turn off music and close
the doors.

Like obedient citizens, most of the people inside the arena
followed the instructions at once.

Several minutes later, a group of three security officials
were seen conducting a room-to-room inspection, looking for
customers who might have decided to violate the rules by staying
overnight with the women at the brothels.

Those who were netted would be charged Rp 15,000 (US$2.15)
each.

While business inside the complex had ended, that outside
began to gear up.

A number of young prostitutes, who were not members of the
complex, were seen hanging out at certain spots on Jl. Kramat
Jaya.

"They're usually looking for clients on this street until 3
o'clock in the morning," street vendor Khadijah said.

According to Husen, a senior city social agency official whose
office at the Teratai Harapan rehabilitation center is located
next to the complex, the location now only has some 320
prostitutes.

The other 1,280 prostitutes had been asked to leave the
complex in different batches after being provided with several
courses and skills for their future, he explained.

"Some of them are working at certain factories here, while
others have gone back to their respective hometowns," Husen said.

He, however, doubted that the authorities' plan to close the
red-light district could then end the entire problem. He worried
that prostitutes forced to leave the Kramat Tunggak brothels
might later flood the capital's streets.

"They may also go to illegal brothel complexes here, such as
those in the nearby Plumpang and Pela-pela areas," he said.

Moreover, he added, the street in front of the Kramat Tunggak
complex was swamped with many new and young prostitutes every
night.

"They are there since they are not allowed to register
themselves as prostitutes in the complex anymore," Husen said.

The girls then rented houses near the complex and served their
customers at nearby motels.

Doubts

Although the government has so far shown their seriousness
about their plan, the remaining prostitutes, pimps and brothel
owners -- whose numbers have been rapidly shrinking as part of
the termination -- still harbor the belief that the authorities
are not serious about executing their plan to close and bulldoze
the brothels on Dec. 8, the day before the Muslim fasting month
of Ramadhan begins.

According to them, the city administration was merely
attempting to snarl at them. They strongly believe that they will
be allowed again to offer their services after Idul Fitri in the
first week of January next year.

"We are sure the complex will operate again after Idul Fitri,"
said Maya (not her real name), 19, a prostitute at the Nusa Bunga
98 brothel.

She therefore has made no significant preparations for the
Dec. 8 closure.

Maya proved her remarks by showing all her belongings which
are still in their places inside her two meters by one and a half
meters room.

Everything, including the woman's accessories and her clothes
remained in their places. The pictures of her regular clients and
two pornographic postcards still decorated her room's mini
bathroom.

"But if the government insists on closing the complex, I will
join with a brothel owner who's ready to run the business
illegally after Ramadhan," Maya, who hails from Karawang in West
Java, said.

Her remark was supported by a brothel keeper, who said that
brothel owners had pledged to operate again after the Muslim
fasting month.

"Our brothel owner Mursit has said she will obey the
government's policy to close her brothel here since she has
already built a bar in Indramayu of West Java (to run the same
business).

But, if other owners here open their brothels after Ramadhan,
she will of course do the same thing," said Djoko, a brothel
keeper.