Living in Jakarta's crime-ridden jungle

JAKARTA (JP): It was an early morning call which jolted me from my slumber.

"Wake up! This is not Indonesia, this is America," said a familiar voice from the past. It was W.W. Walker from Birmingham, Alabama, my sponsor from my first period of study in the United States 10 years ago.

Our conversation went on and on. "OK, then, if you are telling me the truth that you are not in jail, I won't worry, bye," he said finally.

What he really wanted to find out the truth of the stories about Indonesia broadcast on CNN. He did not believe -- or perhaps did not want to believe -- that many residential areas have erected a fortress of fences around them, like they need protection from what lies in the concrete jungle.

It reminded me of a funny story a friend once told me about Jakarta. With a serious look, he asked me, "How many jails does this city have?" Not realizing he was joking, I replied that there were not more than five.

He responded that Jakarta was now one big jail, with people building fences around their houses to keep out the bad guys. Security guards are commonplace in homes, and people have even installed video cameras for extra security.

He also told me a story about something which happened recently to a friend of his who is a European businessman. He was driving with an Indonesian businessman when they stopped at a busy crossroads where police officers were directing traffic.

A policeman approached the car, and they thought he wanted to help guide the car through traffic. Instead, the policeman told them they had crossed the line and would have to pay him a "fine". To avoid the hassle of arguing the point, they paid and drove on. It was only later they concluded they were singled out because the friend was a European businessman. They worried that other European businesspeople would be picked on for similar treatment.

There are so many similar tales.

A businessman from Irian Jaya told me of his experience during a recent trip to Jakarta. He needed to visit his business associates in the Kapuk Indah housing complex. As he neared the complex, he had already made up his mind about what was happening to the capital.

"My place is better than Jakarta," he said later. "We do not need fences to protect us the from jungle even though our place is really in the jungle, but here people try to cause trouble and take advantage of others."

He told me of the ordeal of trying to get permission from security personnel to enter the complex. After making detours because of the gated entrances, he proceeded to the entrance's main gate. He was given a grilling, with the security guards peppering him with many complicated questions about his purpose for visiting the area.

Eventually, they asked for money because he lacked a Jakarta ID card.

"The situation in Jakarta is like World War II. Everybody who passes by needs to be checked by the security personnel," he said emotionally.

Despite all the professions and statements which leave people feeling nothing but confused, corruption, collusion and nepotism are still rampant. Worse still, the authorities do not seem to be taking the security problems seriously, especially in Jakarta.

I know from my own experience about a week ago.

I was driving on a busy road in Roxy, West Jakarta, in the late afternoon shortly after schools closed for the day. A brawl erupted between students from rival schools, and I was unlucky enough to be caught in the thick of things.

My friend and I felt scared but finally we were able to get away, although my car sustained some damage from being hit by stones thrown by the students. More disturbing was the fact that, through it all, there were no police around.

It's not only the police's apparent absence from duty, but that their actions are often questionable. Last month's riot in Glodok was eerily similar to the May 1998 riots which devastated the West Jakarta commercial area. The riot last month occurred because the police decided to conduct a raid on vendors selling pirated VCDs, with the vendors, angered by their approach, fighting back.

The unrest left Jakarta residents feeling tense for days. Businesses closed, fearing an escalation into the mass riots of two years ago. The incident made international headlines, and left Indonesians, especially the ethnic Chinese, needing reassurances from the government about security.

The uncertainty drags on, and the crime rate rises. It is commonplace to see a vehicle stopped on a street corner, its driver shaken down for his valuables and money. Others seem to have become indifferent to the crimes going on around them, content to dismiss them as none of their business.

I have witnessed them myself. The driver of a jeep was robbed last week outside Senen Railway Station, with five men taking his cellular phone and money. There were police nearby but they pretended not to see what was going on, too busy trying to extract a bribe from another driver.

At the same day on Jl. Cideng, a driver was beaten by a disabled beggar because he only gave him a cigarette. Feeling guilty about not doing anything to help the man during the morning robbery, I blew my car's horn, hoping the police or bystanders would help. Instead, the beggar came over to me. Fortunately, the matter was resolved when others intervened.

What we need is for the people and the government to join forces to work hard and seriously to overcome the crime problems. It is painfully clear that Jakarta is now a "city of fear" which is in danger of descending into a wild, lawless jungle.

Is it only me who feels that all the good people in the city have ended up in jails of their own making while the bad ones -- the corrupt, the criminals and the provocateurs -- now rule the streets?

--Parlindungan Sibarani