New Year's Eve passes without major incident

New Year's Eve passes without major incident

JAKARTA (JP): Despite dense crowds of thousands of revelers,
New Year Eve's celebrations in the capital proceeded peacefully,
upset only by minor disturbances.

According to the city authorities, an hour before the passing
of 1998 on Thursday about 100 residents in Karang Anyar
subdistrict in Central Jakarta set fire to three shacks reputed
to be brothels.

"The locals wanted to express their protest against any
prostitution in their area," Tongam Tambunan from the city's
public order office said.

He added that only one entertainment spots was sealed off for
violating the governor's order on operating hours during the
Ramadhan fasting month.

"Of all the places examined during New Year's Eve, only the
Dewata discotheque in the Ancol Dreamland area ran its business
until 3:30 a.m."

A governor's circular states that all entertainment venues can
only be open until 2 a.m. during the Muslim holy month.

At dimly lit stalls outside the Kramat Tunggak prostitution
complex in North Jakarta, also temporarily closed for Ramadhan,
hundreds toasted 1999 with liquor and danced to loud dangdut
music.

Several prostitutes lingered on the streets or sat with
customers.

The complex itself was dark and bamboo fences covered its two
gates.

Sukri, a drinks vendor, said the large crowd on the night was
remarkable.

Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital recorded at least two
deaths and 18 others injured during the all-night festivities.

The deceased were identified as Fahri bin Benni, 23, of Jl.
Sebret in Jati Padang subdistrict in South Jakarta, and Umar bin
Muhdor, 35, of Kampung Gunung in Cimanggis, Bogor.

Fahri, who was admitted to the hospital at 3:20 a.m., was
believed to have died of torture in South Jakarta.

Hospital sources said Umar was admitted to the intensive care
unit but pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. from severe head injuries.

He was reportedly struck by a passing colt minivan on Jl. Raya
Bogor on Thursday night when he tried to avoid the blast of
firecrackers set by children.

Those admitted for treatment were three people hurt by
firecrackers, two stabbing victims, one teenager with a gunshot
wound, one person beaten, one woman raped and the rest traffic-
related injuries.

One of those hurt by fireworks, Teguh, 16, will have his right
arm amputated.

His mother, Jumariah, said the accident happened when Teguh
was playing with firecrackers with friends early on Friday near
their residence in the Klender area of East Jakarta.

"One firecracker did not explode although the kids had lit it.
Teguh grabbed this firecracker to see what was wrong and it
suddenly exploded in his hand."

The shooting victim, Ahyar, 12, was hit by a pellet from a
rifle as he walked along Jl. Minangkabau at Menteng Atas
subdistrict in South Jakarta.

The case is still being investigated by the local police.
Ahyar underwent surgery on Friday afternoon.

Unlike on many previous New Year's Eves, Jakartans were a
little late in hitting the streets.

Probably in accordance with the tarawih (Ramadhan evening
prayer) activities, the crowd of pedestrians along with the
bumper-to-bumper traffic of private cars and motorcycles from
various direction to the National Monument park, the city's
landmark, recorded its peak starting from 9:30 p.m.

For years, the park has been chosen by many Jakartans as the
favorite venue to mark the end of the year.

In an attempt to reach Monas and Ancol Dreamland, another
popular spot for the celebration, many groups of youngsters
hitchhiked a ride from passing trucks.

But a group of teenagers from Grogol, West Jakarta, mistakenly
hailed a ride from a truck headed to the Tangerang area via the
Kebon Jeruk-Tangerang toll road.

Others used the night as an opportunity to earn money from the
sea of motorists. At several spots on the busy traffic of Jl.
Sudirman and Jl. M.H. Thamrin, a group of four to five teenagers
lifted concrete blocks and helped motorists make a detour for a
fee.

It cannot be gauged how many liters of fuel were spent by
Jakartans to mark the departure of the cheerless year of 1998
from Thursday evening to the wee hours of Friday.

On Thursday, many shop owners closed their stores for the day
and many shut early at 3 p.m. Others looked for business
opportunities.

"Why should we close our shop if people still need to buy our
stuff?" trader Cheppy said at the Glodok business center in West
Jakarta.

Most citizens wished for a more peaceful and hassle-free 1999
in the capital.

"We do not want street rallies anymore. We just want to live
peacefully, the way we did before.

"We don't want to see people in uniforms filling the streets
anymore. We're tired of it all," street vendor Ujang said.

Rafiq, a teenager who was enjoying chicken soup from a street
trader with his mother, said he was ashamed of both university
students and security forces for allowing so many deaths to occur
in the past year.

"Indonesians are considered worldwide as a friendly and peace-
loving people. How did they allow things to get so out of hand?
It is shameful. I am ashamed of both students and security
forces," Rafiq said. (ylt/jun/ivy/emf)