Red lights put off at Kramat Tunggak
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)