Matraman residents will hold ceremony in Kalibata

Matraman residents will hold ceremony in Kalibata

JAKARTA (JP): In connection with the Youth Pledge Day,
residents of the brawl-ridden Matraman area in East Jakarta will
hold a ceremony at the Kalibata National Heroes Cemetery in South
Jakarta on Saturday.

The ceremony, organized by the Matraman Residents
Communication Forum (FKPMM), will involve some 400 students from
all schools in the area and representatives of some other schools
in the capital.

Forum chairman, Anang Mansyur, told reporters that the event
was part of the effort to remind young Jakartans not to get
easily involved in mass neighborhood brawls.

He said the program would also include free medical check-ups
for all Matraman residents, to be provided by the Indonesian
Medical Association (IDI) until Nov. 21, and a dancing and art
festival for young people.

"Young people are often blamed from triggering unrest in the
neighborhood. They must realize that they are one and should try
to restore peace and order in the area," said Anang.

Residents of the Palmeriam and Kebon Manggis subdistricts in
Matraman have had a long history of destructive brawls, causing
dozens of fatalities, and resulting in some 400 people who used
to earn their living in the area losing their jobs.

During the clashes, residents of both areas pelt stones and
Molotov cocktails at each other. Some of them, mostly young
people, even arm themselves with air rifles, swords, sickles,
smoke bombs and firecrackers.

Various efforts have been made to end the prolonged conflict,
including the establishment of the forum on May 7, aimed at
bridging the divide between the two neighborhoods.

Others efforts which have been made include the erection of a
two-meter-high steel barrier on the median strip along Jl.
Matraman, the provision of sports equipment, and the
establishment of a watch post at the Gramedia building, jointly
manned by residents of the two neighborhoods.

In the latest brawl, which was triggered by the death of a
Kebon Manggis resident on Oct. 8, the mobs demolished parts of
the newly constructed barrier.

The victim, identified as Yosef Suryahadi, who worked as a
parking attendant in the area, was stabbed in the head, face and
right arm by a group of unidentified men.

Anang said the case was purely criminal, citing that there
were no brawls preceding the murder.

"We urge the police to probe this case soon," he said. (07)