'Strong political will may reduce hoodlum influence'

'Strong political will may reduce hoodlum influence'

JAKARTA (JP): Strong political will is needed to reduce the
influence of hoodlums, a researcher said.

The country's second-largest city, Surabaya, had proved this
possible by organizing its vendors, Isono Sadoko of the Bandung-
based Akatiga social analysis center said Saturday.

But in Jakarta this would be difficult because vendors, who
are exploited by hoodlums, have low priority in the eyes of the
municipality compared to large scale investors, he said.

Hoodlums preying on vendors were more of a problem in Jakarta
than Surabaya or Bandung, said Isono, who has been studying the
informal sector since the 1980s.

"Jakarta has a lot of other sectors which it can benefit
from," Isono said. Catering to the interests of investors has
meant more pressure to provide space for property businesses, for
example, making space for vendors very competitive.

Isono was commenting on the gang war Thursday in Tanah Abang,
one of the main markets here. Gang members, who call themselves
'security people,' fought over the territory where they extract
fees from traders.

The expense of space for vendors created good opportunities
for exploiting them. "As a result vendors hardly put up
resistance against hoodlums," Isono said.

A sidewalk vendor selling refreshments in Tanah Abang said she
had no choice but to pay Rp 50,000 a month to secure space, the
same amount a shoe store owner said he had to pay.

"If I resist many other traders will take my place," the
vendor said.

Isono said, "in Jakarta the commitment to really reduce
hoodlums may only be realized if there are more gang wars".

He said many programs for vendors here had failed despite good
intentions due, among other thins, to poor supervision.

To help vendors, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja has ruled sidewalk
vendors are to be provided legitimate space during Ramadhan
around markets. However often traders who own kiosks at the
markets end up using these spaces for themselves or their
relatives.

Isono said that in Surabaya in the early 1990s the mayor
allowed vendors to operate on streets as long as they were
organized and paid fees to subdistrict heads. The mayor also had
an agreement with the military, as hoodlums were usually only
able to operate with military personnel backing them, Isono said.

"When other parties asked vendors for money they were able to
resist, saying they had already paid the subdistrict head," Isono
said.

On Saturday gang members in Tanah Abang said they would "make
peace" with their rivals, only if the other group moved out of
the area. The Jakarta Military Command planned to make the two
groups meet today.

Gang members were still on the look out in case rivals showed
up. They carried weapons and said the risk of being jailed for
attacking people was not a problem.

"When you have to feed your family, you have to protect your
territory," a gang member said. "One has to eat."

"If we're jailed we would be released again in time anyway,"
Albert, not his real name, said. "It's just as hard living
outside compared to inside (jail)."

He said he once served seven years for murder.

The gang members claimed to have legitimacy from the military
and the municipality including the mayoralty.

"Since we came here there have been no more murders, robberies
or rape," Kris, another member said. The authorities are
pleased, he said.

They claimed traders complained of extortion under the rival
gang. They said they had once listed for work with the Ministry
of Manpower but failed to obtain any. (anr)