Officers reminded of public order detention

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday that people picked up in raids should be immediately released if they are not found guilty of violating city public order.

Several operations by public order officials from July 14 to Sept. 1 netted 1,700 people.

The Kedoya rehabilitation center, which Sutiyoso visited on Friday, is a temporary shelter for violators of city public order. The center holds mostly beggars, the homeless and illegal traffic wardens at U-turns (pak Ogah).

People are picked up for not showing proper identification or using an unauthorized area for operating a business.

An official at the center acknowledged that there were a number of people held for more than the detention period of one week, "but they are under rehabilitation," he said. He was referring to training programs aimed at helping violators earn a living, such as sewing for women.

After staying at the center, the violators are sent to another rehabilitation center.

"There are some 256 vagrants in Kedoya and Cipayung (rehabilitation center in East Jakarta)," said Waluyo, the head of the City Social Agency's social rehabilitation division.

From the 1,700 detained, 185 were returned to relatives in the capital, 528 were sent back to their hometown and 714 were sent to other centers, such as the one for those diagnosed as mentally disturbed in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

A detainee, Eka Sari Budiarti, 26, said she lived in Pisangan, East Jakarta, and was picked up on Thursday night on her way home.

"I had just finished shopping and was waiting at a bus shelter in Cipinang at about 8 p.m., when some officials suddenly arrested me," said Eka, who cried when she heard them accuse her of being a prostitute.

"Those officials should be able to distinguish me from (prostitutes)," said Eka, who was arrested with four other women. "If you don't believe me, just call my parents at home," she said, adding she was looking for a job after she was fired from a factory in Prumpung, East Jakarta.

Eka was staying in a room with some 30 other women, who were all either sleeping on mats, a wooden platform or on the floor. (07)