LBH slams crackdown

LBH slams crackdown

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute has blasted city
public order officials for their "inhumane" actions in a recent
crackdown on street vendors in Menteng, Central Jakarta, that led
to a vendor's death.

"In the crackdown on Nov. 22, the public order officials used
violence against the vendors, chasing them down, beating and
kicking them and destroying their goods. One vendor, Tarjono
drowned in a river and his body was found two days later," the
Institute said in an open letter to the city police chief.

The Institute letter, signed by its operational head Munir,
said public order personnel acted outside their jurisdiction to
the point of blatantly breaching human rights.

"No legal grounds whatsoever could justify their actions. They
acted rudely and arbitrarily without due respect for the vendors'
dignity as human beings," the letter stated.

The Institute believed the practice of intimidating and
catching street vendors was not an effective means of discipline.

"This is a multifaceted social problem that can not solely be
handled by the public order and security offices. It should
involve various government agencies because it is closely related
to widespread poverty and unchecked urbanization," Munir said.

He said most street vendors were poorly educated and from
rural areas. "They came to Jakarta without special skills and
eventually ended up being street vendors."

The Institute urged police to investigate Tarjono's death and
prosecute those responsible.

It said the city administration should be held responsible for
the public order officials' actions that led to Tarjono's death.

The Institute demanded the city administration immediately
stop "brutal and inhumane acts carried out in the name of public
order and security" without due respect for human rights. (bas)