Streets need ridding of hoodlums

Streets need ridding of hoodlums

By K. Basrie

JAKARTA (JP): Thursday's clash between two gangs in the
crowded Central Jakarta Tanah Abang market area is being seen as
further evidence that a mafia-style underworld is emerging in the
country.

A retired police general, a lawyer, a legislator and an
executive of a youth organization expressed concern yesterday
that the hoodlums, known locally as preman, can continue to
extort money from vendors, as if it were legal, and that security
officials had no power to impose sanctions.

"If the security authorities don't take stern action against
the preman, the gangs will become stronger and it would then
become very difficult to stop their activities," said Maj. Gen.
(ret) Koesparmono Irsan.

During Thursday's clash in the 261-year-old market, streets
near the Tanah Abang market almost became a killing field for
members of both gangs had armed themselves with various deadly
weapons, such as samurai swords, machetes, axes and iron bars. No
casualties were reported except for eight people, including a
security officer, who suffered slight injuries, because security
forces arrived promptly to separate the antagonists.

Approximately 3,000 textiles traders and home appliances
retailers and thousands of other merchants and vendors around the
market and the nearby bus terminal immediately closed their
businesses. Buyers and pedestrians fled for safety.

The clash erupted at around 9 a.m. when dozens of members of
the two gangs, led by the notorious hoodlums Hercules and Iyus,
started to throw stones at each other. Squaring up to each other
with sharp weapons, the warring gang members appeared ready to
slay their opponents in order to triumph in the clash, sparked by
a dispute over territorial claims.

The brawl ended four hours later after hundreds of policemen
and troops carrying iron shields, rattan sticks and rifles were
dispatched to the site to disperse the gangs.

Mob rule

Lawyer Amir Syamsuddin commented: "It seems there's mob rule
in that area like in the mafia world."

Amir said he could not understand how such a serious gang war
could happen in a capital which has sophisticated security
forces.

Extorters first operated in Tanah Abang, which is famous for
its cheap textiles, soon after the market was established on Aug.
30, 1735 by landlord Justinus Vinck.

A member of the House of Representatives, Handjojo Putro of
Indonesian Democratic Party, said the existence of hoodlums was
mainly due to the weak control of the police.

"If the police really wanted to stop the extortion at the
market and evict the hoodlums, they could do it," said Handjojo.

He might be right because it is accepted that the local police
know the leaders of the warring gangs well.

"If the police do not want to do that, they must have certain
interests in the hoodlums' operations," he said. "Furthermore, it
seems that the authorities deliberately let the hoodlums operate
because they often need them for political purposes," said
Handjojo.

Handjojo's opinion was shared by Yorrys Raweyai, an executive
of the Pemuda Pancasila youth organization, whose members are
sometimes accused of being hoodlums and debt collectors.

"The existence of hoodlums totally depends on the security
forces," Yorrys said. "Only a clean security force could stop
their operations."

According to Koesparmono, who is also a member of the National
Commission on Human Rights, the Tanah Abang hoodlums have amassed
their current power only because the authorities have no
intention of stopping them from growing and running their dirty
business.

"It's the tradition of our authorities here to stop something
only after it has developed into something sizable," he said.

When asked to comment on an unconfirmed report that the
hoodlums share their dirty money with local security officers,
Koesparmono replied: "It is possible, they do it to feel safe and
expand their business."

In order to avoid further destruction, Koesparmono and lawyer
Amir urged the government to act immediately to stop extortion of
traders and to indict all the hoodlums.

"Indonesia is a state based on the rule of law and we have no
reason to allow preman to conduct their business here," Amir
said.

According to Handjojo, it is the lax attitude of the
authorities that allowed so many gangs, visibly and invisibly, to
operate in this country.

"They extort money from many people of various walks of life,
even beggars," he said.

Earlier reports said the two gangs in Tanah Abang collect at
least Rp 10 million (US$4,210) a month from vendors, shop owners,
more than 100 prostitutes in the nearby Bongkaran area and
thousands of drivers of public transport vans and buses passing
through the area.

The preman fee for "security guarantees" ranges between Rp
1,000 and Rp 15,000 per day. Traders refusing to pay the fees
risk being attacked by the preman.

In June last year, for instance, Mawi, a 55-year-old dumb
vendor, died after being stabbed in his head by one of the
hoodlums for refusing to give him money.

A few days later, the police arrested the suspected killer. He
was later shot for "attacking the officers".