Residents destroy, burn food stalls

Residents destroy, burn food stalls

TANGERANG (JP): About 300 angry residents of Pondok Jaya in
Pondok Aren damaged and burned over the weekend a number of food
stalls which they believed to have been used for prostitution and
selling alcohol.

An officer from the Tangerang Regency Office said the locals
did not want the stalls, which belonged to Nur, 30 and Marjan,
45, to run their illegal business in the neighborhood.

Before Friday's "attack", residents had already asked the
owners to close down the stalls due to the approaching Islamic
fasting month Ramadhan, said the officer, who requested
anonymity.

"Unfortunately, the owners apparently gave no response," he
said.

At about 6 p.m. Friday the residents chased away some women
believed to be prostitutes before pelting stones at the stalls
and setting fire to them.

The situation was brought under immediate control as local
police and military officers promptly arrived at the scene.

The case is now being handled by the Tangerang police
precinct.

Similar incidents have recently taken place in Jatake, Legok
and Babakan in which residents, upset by the illegal practices
taking place in their neighborhoods, have taken the law into
their own hands. The residents were fed up complaining to the
local authorities.

Their actions were immediately stopped by the Tangerang riot
police.

Most of the owners of the stalls in the latest incident
suffered huge material losses and prolonged trauma.

One of the owners, Pungut, 40, said her gutted building,
damaged furniture and household items amounted to an estimated
loss of Rp 10 million (US$2,200).

"Even my youngest son had to miss school because his uniforms
were all burned," she said.

But she said she managed to carry her ailing husband out of
the burning building.

Pungut admitted that most food stalls and kiosks in the three
villages, located near sand quarries, could offer girls between
Rp 20,000 and Rp 30,000 for their services. (41/04)