Learning from Tanah Abang

Learning from Tanah Abang

The riot which broke out near the Tanah Abang market in
Jakarta on Monday is yet another reminder of how easy it is for
festering discontent among groups of people living on the fringes
of society to erupt into violence. But while there is a general
truth in this statement, it is particularly valid in the case of
groups of people who are by their very nature prone to being
harassed -- such as urban slum dwellers or street vendors, whose
very presence in the city runs against all standards of
cleanliness and orderliness which is the aim of every good city
planner and administrator.

Unfortunately, the realities of life in a developing country
such as ours often make compromises necessary. Try as they may,
it seems there is no way that city administrators can slow down
the tide of urbanization, much less stop it. On the contrary,
experts foresee that in decades to come more and more people will
be abandoning rural areas to live in the cities. As the tide
continues unabated, what is generally known as the informal
sector -- that of people living and working without formal wages
and without government control or supervision -- is bound to
bloom. In the foreseeable future, street vendors and slums will
probably remain part and parcel of urban life in the developing
world.

Still, nobody in his right mind would dispute the need for our
city officials to try and put at least some semblance of order
into our cities. Roads have to be cleared of clutter and
obstacles so cars and other road users can pass unobstructed.
Residential neighborhoods have to be kept clean and safe. Hence
the city's efforts to put order in the operating of the informal
sector is in principle acceptable and even necessary. What is
objectionable is the inhumane manner in which those efforts are
up often carried out, particularly by field officers.

Reports of slums being burned down and vendors being chased
off the streets, their stalls and merchandise impounded or
destroyed, still regularly fill our newspapers. Worse, money is
allegedly extorted from street vendors by unscrupulous officers,
referred to in official jargon as oknum to indicate that they are
not part of the system. Reports of maltreatment continue to
surface. Yet, the state agrees that the informal sector provides
a valuable contribution to our economy. Apart from providing
millions of people with a living without being a burden to the
government or anybody else, the informal sector absorbs a good
deal of labor and thus provides a safety valve for our developing
society.

Whether or not a plot by some sinister individual or
individuals exists, as some government officials seem to believe,
the lesson which the Tanah Abang incident teaches us is that
there must be many among the underprivileged whose frustrations
have grown so much that it only takes the smallest spark to flare
into violence. For our part we believe that finding the root of
the problem and providing the necessary safety valves is far more
important than looking for scapegoats.

For the city administration, we are afraid, the choice is not
an easy one. To a considerable extent the informal sector remains
a valuable part of our economy and its existence must be
safeguarded. On the other hand order must also be maintained. We
hope a middle-of-the-road solution can be found to achieve a
happy balance.