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".