Of hookers and city officers
In the March 11 issue of The Jakarta Post, you have the story of 34 alleged "hookers" being arrested early in the morning of March 9 by the City Public Order Office.
My 25-year-old step-daughter was one of those 34. She was with a friend in an Express taxi returning to Tebet from the cinema in the Atrium at Pasar Senin. The taxi was stopped on Jl. Matraman by members of Kopassus (special forces) as well as the police. In no sense was she "hanging around". What is more, both young ladies had valid ID cards (KTP) which proved their right to live in Jakarta, presumably unmolested. They were imprisoned for the weekend, along with others, including elderly vegetable sellers who were also going about their lawful business, at the "Rehabilitation Center" in Kedoya.
This whole episode raises several key issues which the community must address.
First, the statement by the head of the City Public Order and Social Protection Agency, Toha Reno, that "most of our officers could make the distinction if a woman is a prostitute or not" indicates that his officers are procurers. How else could they form such an opinion? This surely is a gross misuse of public funds. Corruption continues in spite of the reform movement.
Second, Toha Reno promised to "free the women if they were picked up by their parents or relatives". He lied. My wife, her brother and our five-year-old son went to Kedoya on March 9 in the morning. They took with them the Kartu Keluarga (family card) issued by the sub-district office. This, with my step-daughter's KTP, was not sufficient proof of her residence.
Unfortunately, there appears to be little recourse within the legal system, in that class action suits are rare. However, if any of the other "hookers" feel similarly aggrieved, I am more than willing to assist in seeking compensation. Hopefully, too, such an outcry would lead to the City government redirecting their efforts into preventing further floods, clearing up the garbage, spending more time in Jakarta than abroad, improving welfare services for all (rather than just themselves) and generally making life better for decent law-abiding citizens.
TERRY COLLINS
Jakarta