`Thugs should be shot dead, if necessary'

`Thugs should be shot dead, if necessary'

Many people fear that Jakarta could become a city of fear if the
authorities do not take action against thugs. They envision a
city where good, honest citizens cannot leave their homes, held
prisoner by emboldened thugs who roam the streets with absolute
impunity. The Jakarta Post spoke with several city residents who
have had run-ins with hoodlums.

Sahrul, 29, is a sidewalk vendor in Jatinegara, East Jakarta,
who sells toys. He lives nearby with his wife and daughter:

I think something has to be done to fight hoodlumism in the
city. These thugs are a burden to us vendors.

In a way I can understand what they do, as they are just
trying to make some money to live. But I think they should get
jobs and work like everyone else rather than extorting money from
vendors. It's unfair.

We all have a tough time trying to survive. If they extort
money from us that means we are working not only for our own
families, but also for them.

Worse still, if we refuse to give them money they make
trouble.

They make us pay them protection money, but we pay them money
and they don't protect us or stop the public order officers from
evicting us. They don't do anything to stop it so why should we
keep giving them money?

The police should be more serious about combating them. At the
least, the police shouldn't set a bad example by backing up the
hoodlums or even taking money from them.

Supri, 30, is a public minivan driver working between
Pademangan, North Jakarta, and Kota, West Jakarta. He lives in
Pademangan, North Jakarta, with his wife and two children:

I'd like to see a crackdown on thugs, who threaten the safety
of city residents.

I have to give more than Rp 8,000 a day to hoodlums who say
they are guarding my route.

I have been paying this money for years, so I don't even feel
like I'm being extorted anymore. Well, as long as they protect
drivers it's not a problem, and so far their promises of
protection have been somewhat true.

I also have to pay Rp 1,000 to the middlemen who help me find
passengers. In this case they really help me so I can't complain
about it.

I just don't like thugs who try to show how tough they are by
threatening and pushing around drivers. We have seen those kinds
of hoodlums before and it is something that causes bus drivers
concern. The thugs around here aren't too harsh these days and
there seem to be fewer of them, thanks to security forces who
recently raided the hoodlums.

Antok, 40, works as a shop assistant in South Jakarta. He
lives in Tangerang, Banten, with his wife and son:

I am in total agreement that something must be done to combat
hoodlumism in the city. These thugs threaten the safety of
residents, especially in public places.

If necessary they should be shot dead to make the city more
peaceful.

Olan, 32, sells VCDs on the sidewalk in front of Harco Market
in Glodok, Central Jakarta. He lives in Ciputat, South Jakarta,
with his wife and two children:

I'm happy to note that there are only a few hoodlums here
following intensive police raids.

A few days ago five more thugs were nabbed and brought to some
social rehabilitation center. I'm not sure if that will work or
if they will just go back to being thugs once they are released.

But I appreciate the efforts of the police.

Fortunately, the hoodlums have never gotten rough with me. But
I admit that I always pay about Rp 3,000 daily to a vendors'
organization for security.

I don't think it's a problem because the organization always
sides with the vendors in cases of eviction and security. So the
hoodlums here never extort the vendors.

But that does not mean thugs do not threaten city residents in
general. Therefore, I completely agree with the operation to
combat thuggery, to make residents feel more secure to come
shopping here.

-- Leo Wahyudi S