Many Jakartans haunted by fears of insecurity

By A'an Suryana

JAKARTA (JP): Tension has been intensifying in the capital ahead of official party campaign activities scheduled to start on May 19 and the June 7 general election.

Fears over the possibility of widespread riots lingers on, as sporadic clashes between party supporters in Central Java in which scores of people have been killed, continue.

Many have expressed concern that riots -- similar to those which took place last May -- could happen again. Last year's wave of violence reportedly claimed 1,188 lives while dozens of women, mostly Chinese-Indonesians, were raped and thousands of shops, vehicles and private homes were burned or looted. No one has been tried for the crimes.

In the current atmosphere of insecurity, Jakarta authorities have called for the participation of the public to help maintain security in the capital.

Both Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso and Jakarta Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman reiterated that due to the limited availability of security officers, participation of the public in safeguarding the city was vital.

Without such cooperation "it will be difficult for us to guarantee that something (bad) won't happen (during the campaign period) because all of us are just human beings," Sutiyoso said earlier this month.

The possibility of riots prior and during the polling period has led owners of shopping complexes, banks and other businesses to install high fences and barbed wire around their buildings.

Some buildings in Jakarta are even equipped with nets to prevent an irresponsible crowd from pelting stones through buildings' glass windows.

There are reports that scores of rich people, mostly Chinese- Indonesians -- whose number, according to data at Jakarta's chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has reached 25,000 -- have left the country to avoid possible riots.

Chinese-Indonesians have been the target of recent riots, most notably during last year's May riots in the city.

Sutiyoso said peoples' fears were baseless. "Such an action (leaving the country) shows their lack of nationalistic spirit."

However, many Chinese-Indonesians questioned Sutiyoso's remark, saying that when they fell victim to the brutal attacks from mobs last year, no one helped them. Soldiers and other security personnel who were supposed to protect them disappeared.

In response to the authorities' call for people's participation in the upcoming weeks, heads of the city's neighborhood communities and the management of housing complexes have instructed their residents to take part in night watches from May 9 to June 14.

Jaya Sumarja, a security coordinator of a neighborhood community at the Bintaro Jaya housing complex in South Jakarta, has sent letters to local residents to join the night watch.

"The management of the housing complex asked us last month to improve safety for ourselves in preparation for the upcoming party campaigns," he told The Jakarta Post by phone.

His community will start the neighborhood watch schedule on May 18, a day before the campaigning starts. He said he was happy with the positive response to the security scheme.

"We do not force residents to join the night watch, since most of them are busy people."

What happens if residents cannot take their turn to join the night watch? Chairman of the RW 01 neighborhood community Kusmono, said that they could assign people to represent them.

"Those who can not assign other people can donate some money," he said.

According to Jaya, the responsibility for maintaining security and order in the area is entrusted to security guards, who are paid Rp 300,000 per month each.

Their salaries are collected from security funds from residents, amounting to Rp 25,000 per family per month, he said.

Jaya said in their operation if someone on duty on the night watch encountered something suspicious, they were required to inform others by hitting electricity poles several times.

"All men in the area are then asked to stand in front of their houses and bring with them any means of self-defense to face the attackers."

The local security coordinator is responsible for contacting local security authorities, such as military district commands and the police sub-precinct.

A unique circumstance is found in the Angke subdistrict in North Jakarta, where local market porters have been assigned to safeguard security since January 1997.

"Starting from a dispute between two porter groups, RW 09 neighborhood community is now safe from any possible looting or other crimes," said Hinda Kartawidjaya, 41, head of the RW 09 community.

Without mentioning the amount of payment given to the porters, Hinda said: "We collect money from shop owners throughout the Jembatan Dua market at Rp 50,000 to Rp 100,000 per month for security payment on a voluntary basis."

He said he did not collect money from local residents. "The residents only participated in the construction of three iron entrance gates intended to prevent masses from entering the area."

His scheme has been very effective, as it succeeded in preventing looters from nearby slum areas in Kalipesing and Kapuk from attacking them during last year's riots.

"The masses only passed by Jl. Latumeten in the Grogol direction, since they were afraid of the porters who stand at the RW entrance gates," said Hinda, who is responsible for the safety of more than 6,000 residents.

Hinda, alias Tompel, said it was no longer necessary for locals to join a night watch.

"The porters are more than enough to safeguard the area," he said, adding that no special preparations were in place for the upcoming party campaigns.

Traders

Hermen Pilly S.A, an apparel trader at Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta, said training on preventing attacks from rioters was held for 2,000 traders on Monday.

"The head of the market, Subeni, asked us to join in the training to assure security here," he said at his shop called Restu Bunda on the market's ground floor on Thursday.

Subeni bought a siren and attached it to his office, which is located on the market's fourth story. The siren can warn traders of any prospective danger, he said.

The four-story market building has 15,000 kiosks and nine entrance gates.

"Most traders voluntarily joined the training since they also worry about the possibility of mass looting here, like the ones in May last year," he said.

Commenting on the many people leaving the country to avoid possible riots, Haditono, 63, the owner of Golden Rama Tour and Travel Agency on Jl. Tanah Abang II in Central Jakarta, said that his business was very busy.

"Customers have fully booked out plane seats until the end of May," he told the Post at his office.

"Besides, it coincides with the school holidays, (but) the sharp rise in bookings is possibly caused by fear of possible riots during the party campaign as well."

Haditono was convinced that the departing residents would return as soon as they found the situation was back to normal.

Others, who choose to have their holidays away from the capital, have departed for their favorite destinations, including Denpasar and Batam.

Sardjono Jatiman, a sociologist from the University of Indonesia, said fears about security were caused mainly by a failure on the part of security personnel to satisfy people's needs for security and order.

"It was proven with widespread looting and burning during the May riots," he said, adding that wherever people did not feel safe, they would try to defend themselves by constructing tall fences or fleeing abroad.

On Friday, Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis called on city dwellers to stay calm.

"We have deployed police personnel to strategic places in the city and even have additional personnel from the city military command, the civilian defense unit (Hansip) and civilian security (Kamra) members," he said.