Tanah Abang locals praise, caution African neighbors

Tanah Abang locals praise, caution African neighbors

JAKARTA (JP): Residents in the Tanah Abang area in Central
Jakarta have mixed opinions on the mushrooming number of Africans
residing in and running businesses in the heavily populated area.

Interviewed on Saturday, some of the people -- especially
garment traders, hoteliers and restaurateurs -- were highly
enthusiastic about their new neighbors. Many of them said their
presence had helped boost their incomes during the crippling
economic crisis.

But others, particularly residents in the area, aired concerns
that the foreigners' lifestyle was incompatible with local
culture, and would affect locals, particularly teenagers. The
residents suggested their new neighbors, who are mostly from
Nigeria, curb their behavior and respect local customs.

According to many traders at the popular Tanah Abang textile
and garment market, the Africans, who regularly make bulk orders
to be shipped to their homelands, had "saved" them from the
prolonged economic crisis.

Titi, a shop attendant at the Fanina embroidered cloth shop,
said African businessmen were a godsend for market traders, many
of whom had experienced a sharp drop in orders from local
customers.

She said her African customers were always very happy when the
rupiah rose sharply against the greenback.

"They will buy things in large quantities, so that it seems
that everything in the shop has been taken away," said Titi, who
had just completed a Rp 3 million (US$360) transaction with two
Africans.

With a daily turnover of between Rp 5 million and Rp 20
million per day, Titi said that thanks to her African clientele,
the economic crisis was yet to affect her business.

Similar praise was also made by the owner of the Rahmat cloth
shop, Mrs. Rahmat, who said her daily transactions sometimes
amounted to Rp 500 million.

"African traders have made a big contribution to my business.
During the time when the U.S. dollar became much stronger against
the rupiah, I even recorded Rp 1 billion in transactions in just
a day, which forced me to serve them until late into the night,"
she said.

According to local residents, the Africans started to flock to
the area about three years ago just as the country began to face
the grim economic crisis.

No official figures of the African community at the Tanah
Abang area were available, but they have a conspicuous presence
in the neighborhood. Some were seen accompanying their children,
walking to or from their hotels or rented houses in the
neighborhood, leaving some locals to jokingly rename the area the
"African kampong".

Resident Rusdi said: "Some of them have become part of our
lives, as they usually stay for months and rent houses here."

He, however, acknowledged that some local residents were
disturbed by some of the Africans, who could not adapt themselves
to the local's way of life.

"Sometimes the black guys hug their teenage girls or kiss them
in front of our eyes. This make local people unhappy," he said.

Saukani, a senior resident, shared the viewpoint.

The two men said that some of the foreigners met with
prostitutes in the area.

On Thursday, 13 Africans were apprehended by the Central
Jakarta Mayoralty on charges of overstaying their visas. A piece
of equipment used to produce counterfeit U.S. dollars was also
seized from one of the men, who managed to escape.

Petamburan subdistrict resident Darul, who has African
neighbors, said local people could live together with foreigners
who were willing to adapt themselves to the local culture.

"We, for example, have become good neighbors and never bother
each other," he said. (ind)