Scavengers show off force

Scavengers show off force

JAKARTA (JP): In a show of force to end intimidation by
security officers, hundreds of scavengers from greater Jakarta
staged a protest at the House of Representatives here yesterday.

They claimed that some businessmen of Chinese descent have
resorted to violence and terror after they had exhausted peaceful
bids to acquire land which has long been occupied by hundreds of
scavengers.

The protesters also claimed that the firms colluded with
members of the Armed Forces (ABRI) and hired street hoodlums in a
desperate bid to evict the scavengers and secure the land for
development projects.

The protesters from Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi
unloaded their frustration on the faction of the ruling Golkar
party represented by legislators Anwar Ilmar and Kamil Sahab.

Led by top leaders of the Association of Indonesian
Scavengers, including its chief Cathy Lengkong, a one-time little
known film starlet, the protest passed off peacefully.

Cathy warned that the use of violence and intimidation has
tested the patience of scavengers in the North Jakarta suburbs of
Intraco, Bedeng, Semper Barat, Green Garden, Pademangan Timur and
Mangga Dua.

"Hoodlums backed by ABRI individuals who back the companies
have intimidated us, buried ready-for harvest paddy, burned down
huts and physically harassed scavengers" she said.

She brought a list of the names of ABRI individuals, who she
said backed the companies.

The violence has stirred sentiments of Sinophobia among the
affected people and this could flare into an open conflict unless
it is appropriately handled, she said.

Anwar and Kamil promised to channel the scavengers' problem to
the relevant agencies. (pan)