Tangerang in clutches of prostitution

Tangerang in clutches of prostitution

TANGERANG: An urban watchdog and ulemas on Thursday called for
serious action to be taken against prostitution, which is
widespread in several districts between the town and South
Jakarta and West Jakarta.

"The beverage and food stalls in Pondok Ranji, Tegal Rotan and
Pondok Kacang in Ciputat district, also Pondok Aren and Pamulang
districts, are used for disguised prostitution, but the
administration does nothing to stop this," said Amin Syarbini,
chairman of the Tangerang branch of the Indonesian Council of
Ulemas (MUI).

Muslim preacher, ustad Komarudin of Sawah Lama village,
Ciputat, said the residents had tried hard not to take the law
into their own hands.

Suhaimai Ismedi, the director of Tangerang Shelter, said the
administration had yet to take any action although the health
agency had found one AIDS case in Dadap village.

"The regency is surrounded by red-light districts. We have
found new ones in Dadap village, and on the banks of the Kali
Perancis river and Sungai Tahang river in Kosambi district, which
borders with West Jakarta," he said. --JP