Many Jakartans haunted by fears of insecurity

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.