Taman Puring traders rampage over cut branches

JAKARTA (JP): Some 500 vendors on Jl. Gandaria I, on the left of Taman Puring market, South Jakarta, threw rocks, destroyed stone roadblocks and tore down the new galvanized iron fence surrounding the park on Saturday morning.

A number of the vendors said the violence was in response to the cutting down of large tree branches along the street by workers from the public order office late Friday night. The vendors said the felled branches blocked their kiosks, preventing them from opening their businesses on Saturday.

Bratu, 34, who sells used goods, said the vendors were not notified that the trees along the street would be trimmed.

"Public order officers just came at about 10 p.m. on Friday and went on cutting until 2 a.m. on Saturday. We were shocked and could do nothing since it was on the governor's order. Of course we got really angry," Bratu told The Jakarta Post at the scene.

South Jakarta Police officers who arrived at the scene to calm the vendors were pelted with stones. One officer, Maj. Sujadmo, suffered bruises to his leg during the incident.

Police arrested four men, identified as Toni, Au, Ami and Ali.

Asked whether the vendors were aware that trees were trimmed not only in their area but throughout the capital, in order to prevent overgrown branches from disturbing traffic, Teguh, 26, a shoe seller, said the vendors were only concerned with their businesses.

"The branches fell in the space we use to open our businesses. How could they do this without informing us, or at least the Kebayoran Baru Police station, which is only about 40 meters from here.

"They should have sent their representatives here and notified us at least a week before," he said.

Other vendors said the rampage began over stone roadblocks placed randomly along Jl. Gandaria I.

One of the vendors, Jamal, said traders were so angered by the roadblocks they began tearing down the galvanized iron fence surrounding the park. Of the 700 meters of fencing surrounding the park, at least 300 meters of it was destroyed.

Jamal said the public order office did not explain to traders the reason for the roadblocks.

The traders are awaiting the construction of a market in an open field behind the Ramayana department store in Kebayoran Lama. The city administration earlier guaranteed the construction of a new market for the vendors.

Earlier, led by Bambang Herry, vendors from the Taman Puring II Vendors Association protested the raid on their kiosks ordered by the South Jakarta administration.

Their kiosks in the 2,000-square-meter park, known as the Taman Puring II flea market, were destroyed and their merchandise confiscated.

Following complaints by local residents about traffic congestion and garbage, the city administration decided last May to return the site to a green area.

The authorities had allowed traders to set up kiosks in the park in an effort to help them ride out the economic crisis. However, it was on the condition that the vendors vacate the site when requested by the administration.

The vendors said they ignored the order to leave the park because negotiations about their status at the site remained inconclusive.

"It was decided that while negotiations between councilors, officials and the traders were still ongoing, we would be allowed to conduct our business there," Bambang said. (ylt/asa)