Operation Cleansing makes residents feel secure
JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Maphar subdistrict in Taman Sari, West Jakarta, feel more secure since the launching of the military-backed anti-crime drive Operasi Bersih (Operation Cleansing) earlier this month.
"It's much calmer now. Last month, when the operation was not launched yet, almost every night and day youngsters got drunk along the roads," said Abdul Madjid of Jl. Kebon Jeruk XIII in Maphar subdistrict.
Madjid was among the people witnessing the Operation Cleansing team confiscate thousands of bottles of alcoholic drinks from the Surya and Maju shops on Jl. Kebon Jeruk late last week.
He noted that liquor was relatively cheap and very easy to get in his area, prompting many students to go on drinking sprees.
Liong Tjong Hua, the owner of Surya shop, said the prices of the alcoholic beverages he sells range from Rp 1,600 (US$76) to Rp 3,000. He confirmed that most of his customers are youngsters.
The anti-crime operation, which commenced on March 11, involves personnel from the Police Force, the Army, the Marine Corps and the Air Force, as well as security officers from the Jakarta, Tangerang and Bekasi administrations.
Sugianto, who lives on Jl. Kebon Jeruk V and was on hand during the raids on the shops, said that he was happy with the operation, which he considers successful in ridding the area of hoodlums.
"Almost every day I heard about disturbances in different parts of the district. But since the operation was launched, I feel secure to walk everywhere, even at night," Sugianto, a migrant from Surakarta, Central Java, said.
Sugianto said brawls between youths are very common incidents in the area, which is the site of the state-run STM VII Technical High School, whose students are notorious for instigating clashes.
He said the most anxious moments for him are when brawls break out when his children are not home from school yet.
"I have only two children and both go to quite distant schools. Any time I hear of a brawl, I contact their schools directly. But, if they are already on their way home, I can't do anything but wait for them nervously," Sugianto said.
Lt. Col. I.P. Sisworo, commander of the West Jakarta military district command, told The Jakarta Post that the responsibility for the security in the Taman Sari area is inherent in the security system used for every subdistrict.
The system involves Mitra Babinsa, civilians who support subdistrict security, and Bakor Konwil, civilians who support district communication.
Capt. Sudarno, the commander of the Taman Sari military ward- level headquarters, said the Mitra Babinsa and Bakor Konwil are fully self-reliant in terms of funding.
"We just coordinate them," he said.
J. Pohan, coordinator of the Taman Sari Mitra Babinsa and Bakor Konwil, said he had collected funds to build a number of sentry posts, each of which costs more than Rp 5 million (US$2,380).
To support the routine budget, every member of Mitra Babinsa and Bakor Konwil, a number of whom are people of Chinese descent, voluntarily send in money and take care of their own needs, such as uniforms, walkie-talkies and their own meals.
"Even for a pack of cigarettes, we have to buy them on our own. But it doesn't matter at all because we love it," Pohan said. (11)