Police to punish violent gangs

Following continued clashes between the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) with the Big Banten Family Development Committee (BPPKB), the Jakarta Police announced on Thursday that they were planning to dismantle all of the non-governmental paramilitary command posts.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said that most of the command posts just served to create tension that eventually led to clashes between various gangs.

"Only government police posts and official security posts are allowed in the city," he revealed.

There are hundreds of paramilitary command posts belonging to several private, non-governmental paramilitary outfits, including the Islamic Defender's Front (FPI), throughout the city.

Clashes between the gangs, often triggered by struggles for influence or turf, have been a common occurrence since the fall of president Soeharto's authoritarian regime.

Although many citizens have expressed their concern over the excessive power of such groups and wondered aloud why governmental authorities have inexplicably allowed them to continue and usually appear powerless to stop the violent conflicts among the gangs.

One of the more recent, and bloodier, conflicts took place earlier this week between the FBR and BPPKB over a 50-meter square lot in Sungai Bambu village in North Jakarta.

Dozens of combatants from each side were injured, while 30 were arrested for damaging public property. -- JP