Sutiyoso vows to crack down on firecrackers business
Sutiyoso vows to crack down on firecrackers business
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso warned Jakartans on Monday
that city security authorities would take stiff measures against
anyone who makes, supplies, carries, sells or lights fireworks
that explode.
"I have instructed today (Monday) the city's five mayors to
work together in solving the matter.
"A joint team of city public order officials, police and
military personnel will be deployed to carry out a series of
operations in the city's markets to confiscate firecrackers and
any other fireworks," Sutiyoso told the media.
Those found in possession of fireworks will be punished in
accordance with the law, the governor added.
His warning was also stated in a gubernatorial instruction No.
347/1998 issued on Dec. 23.
Since the first few days of Ramadhan last week, traders
offering a wide range of fireworks to passersby, particularly
teenagers, have been abundant.
At the busy Blok M shopping area in South Jakarta and Tanah
Abang market in Central Jakarta, for example, many fireworks
traders put their merchandise in cartons so that they can easily
escape from security officers with their wares.
Contacted by telephone on Monday, Central Jakarta Mayor Andi
Subur Abdullah said he had long since proposed that the governor
order all of the city mayoralties to work together in this
matter.
"Confiscating fireworks in only one mayoralty won't work.
Sellers can easily shift to other mayoralties and then run their
businesses from there," Andi said.
"Now, hopefully the operation will work with the collaboration
of other mayors and the joint security team," he said.
On Sunday, fireworks played a major role in igniting a clash
between residents of Pengadegan subdistrict and residents of
Rawajati subdistrict in Kalibata, South Jakarta.
No fatalities were reported but at least eight people were
injured.
Other recent conflicts provoked by the use of fireworks
include clashes between two warring youth groups in Bidaracina,
East Jakarta, and between teenagers of Dasana Puri housing
complex at Duri Kosambi and local youths in North Jakarta.
Five were injured and several houses and a tire store were
damaged. (ylt)