Raids continue despite criticism

JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso pledged on Friday to continue operations aimed at maintaining order in the city despite the fact that they have not yet proved to be successful.

Sutiyoso argued that the city administration would continue the operations because there had been a "significant improvement" in public order.

Persuasive and humane approaches would be adopted in policing the violations, the governor said in his speech at a ceremony inaugurating new city administration officials.

Seventy-three city officials were inaugurated on Friday, with 30 officials remaining in the same posts they had held previously.

"As we continue to control any type of violation, the city administration officials must practice a humane and persuasive approach," Sutiyoso said in his address.

The city public order officials have often been criticized for using violence in conducting raids against becak (pedicab) drivers, street vendors and others considered to be disturbing public order.

Wardah Hafidz from the Urban Poor Consortium said the public order officials are anything but persuasive and humane in their operations.

"It's very common to have at least one becak driver with a broken bone after a raid. They (the public order officials) don't seem to know any other way than resorting to violence," Wardah told The Jakarta Post.

The consortium's calls for negotiations and dialogue with the city administration have fallen on deaf ears, Wardah added, with no response received from the city administration yet.

In August, a violent riot followed a becak raid, during which one civilian guard was killed.

Becak drivers and street vendors often protest against the public order officials' brutality in raids, saying that they are often beaten and abused.

As stipulated in City Bylaw 11/1988 on public order, becak and sidewalk vendors are prohibited from operating in the city.

Becak drivers and street vendors complain that they would not be able to provide for their families if the city administration banned them without providing any kind of alternative for earning a living.

"Can they offer any kind of solution? if we're not allowed in that place, then where can we sell our merchandise?," said Manumpang Batubara, a video compact disc (VCD) vendor on Jl. Pinangsia in Central Jakarta last week at the City Council office, where he and his friends were protesting a recent raid. -- JP