Red lights put off at Kramat Tunggak

JAKARTA (JP): "In the name of Allah, I hereby declare from this moment the closure of Kramat Tunggak red-light district."

So said Governor Sutiyoso in a modest ceremony held on Wednesday marking the closure of the 30-year-old Kramat Tunggak red-light district.

Sutiyoso unveiled an inscription that stated the closure of the 11-hectare district -- which was home to approximately 1,600 prostitutes and 260 panderers -- by the Jakarta administration.

The official ceremony held at the security post of the entrance gate of the complex was attended by city officials, the media and locals.

Sutiyoso later met with approximately 30 of the former Kramat Tunggak sex workers and panderers.

To the former prostitutes, who have been provided with special courses and skills, such as makeup application, food catering, sewing and tailoring, Sutiyoso said: "I hope you can use your new skills to support your life in the future. Let bygones be bygones."

One of the women burst into tears while listening to the governor's speech.

The informal meeting subsequently focused on money issues facing the women and their former pimps.

The discussion was triggered when Cecep, who talked on behalf of the pimps, asked the governor to buy their property in order to allow them to pursue a new line of business.

"I hope the city government can buy our land or find investors to develop the district," he said.

His remark was immediately cheered by the former prostitutes.

"Yes Pak Gubernur, we need money to start our new businesses," the crowd of women shouted.

When invited to express their final wish, Endang, a former sex worker from Madura, East Java, approached the officials and revealed a need to buy new gadgets for her newly established hairdressing salon.

"I need a hair dryer which will cost more than one million rupiah (US$138) to provide a better service to my customers," she said.

Envelope

Sutiyoso nodded his head, apparently in agreement, as the woman made her plea. He astounded onlookers when toward the end of the ceremony, he personally handed Endang an envelope believed to contain Rp 1 million.

Sutiyoso promised staff members, who handed him the envelope, that he would personally recompense the funds upon his return to his office.

Emboldened by Endang's luck, Yati, another former sex worker from Majalengka, West Java, made another heartfelt plea.

With her eyes brimming with tears, Yati told the city officials that she badly needed money to open a tailor shop in her hometown.

"The equipment is expensive. But I only need some Rp 200,000 to start my new business," she said.

In response, Sutiyoso hastily asked the head of the city parking agency, Yani Mulyadi, to help Yati.

"Pak Yani is from Majalengka, so let's ask him to help Yati," he said.

The official quickly met the request and handed over an undisclosed sum of money to the delighted Yati.

Prior to the arrival of the officials, the complex was relatively quiet. Several women were seen packing their belongings, while a number of men helped them carry the items to waiting trucks.

"Most of my girls had already left on Tuesday by bus to Indramayu, West Java," said a madam, adding that she herself was waiting on the building's owner to surrender the property.

The closure of the area has also affected some of the local people.

"I don't have anything to do now, while I have a family to support," resident Bambang, who once worked as a brothel keeper at the complex, said on Wednesday.

"Idul Fitri holidays are coming soon and I don't have a job. The closure makes my life difficult."

The district was established on April 21, 1970, by then governor Ali Sadikin. More than half of the area is owned by locals.

Data from the city administration reveals that 69 percent of the prostitutes in the complex were elementary school graduates. Forty-four percent of them were aged between 21 and 25 years, and 21 percent were under 21 years of age.

Separately, Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi warned the city administration that the closure of Kramat Tunggak would hamper the task of health officials in controlling the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

"The ministry will have a hard time reaching and supervising sex workers on health issues," the minister said on an official visit on Wednesday to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta.

He said that his ministry could no longer continue their outreach methods to help sex workers manage their health.

"We will have to find another way to give the health services for them," Achmad said.

He said his office would, for example, work together with non- governmental organizations (NGOs) to keep track of sex workers.

"But it will be temporary before the government can formulate some ways to supervise them."

The minister said he hoped the NGOs would help his office to provide health information and counseling for the sex workers. (04/05)