Traders protest at City Council

Traders protest at City Council

JAKARTA: Some 100 street vendors who were evicted from outside
the Pasar Minggu traditional market in South Jakarta staged a
protest in the grounds of City Hall on Tuesday, demanding that
the city administration allow them to start trading again.

They were evicted from the pavements in front of the market
three months ago and have since moved inside the market complex.
But they complain that the move has led to a fall business.

"We hope that we will be allowed to resume our activities (in
front of the market) as the new place is no good for us to do
business," Mohamad Nasikin, a spokesman for the traders, told a
hearing with the City Council's economic affairs commission.

The councillors, however, advised them to stay inside the
market, saying that the pavements could no longer be used for
trading due to the problem of traffic congestion in the city.

"You should stay inside the market as the buyers will come to
you if you keep trading there," said councillor Sumiyati Soekarno
of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan).--JP

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Focus-Tangerang-Japanese-dead
Japanese woman found murdered
JP/8/GREATER

Japanese woman found murdered

TANGERANG: A 62-year-old Japanese woman was found dead in
a bathroom at her home in Perigi Baru village, Pondok
Aren district, Tangerang regency, late on Monday.

Tangerang police chief Sr. Comr. Harry Prastowo said
on Tuesday that the woman, identified only as Michisenda, was
murdered by a screwdriver to the head, which was found in the
victim when police arrived on the scene.

According to Prastowo, two local security men's suspicions
were aroused because they saw that the house was locked since
Saturday. When they knocked on the door, there was no answer, but
there was an unpleasant smell coming from inside.

The two men then broke into the house and found the woman,
wearing blue pants and a beige T-shirt, lying on the floor. The
body had already begun to decompose.

The security men also found out that the victim's car, a
silver Kijang minivan with license plate 'B 2820 PP' was missing,
and that the driver, called Achmad, had not showed up for
three days.

The police have pointed to the driver as the main suspect in
the murder. But Achmad is still at large, his whereabouts
unknown. -- JP

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Focus-Tangerang-dengue
Dengeau fever hits Tangerang
JP/8/GREATER

Dengue fever afflicts Tangerang

TANGERANG: Since January this year, 20 residents of Tangerang
municipality have suffered from dengue fever and received medical
treatment at local hospitals, the municipal health agency chief
revealed on Tuesday.

Agency chief Nur Iman Machyudin called on residents to be more
careful and keep their immediate environment clean in order to
guard against the virus that causes the disease.

He said the actual number of residents who had been afflicted
totaled more than 20, since many victims had also been treated at
hospitals in Jakarta.

He said dengue fever would reach its peak season in May, and
that the number of victims would increase if residents neglected
their hygiene.

"We are now facing the transitional period from the rainy to
dry season, and mosquitoes that spread the virus could breed
rapidly if we don't keep those areas in our houses, where
mosquitoes usually congregate, clean," he said.

He added that the patients suffering the disease ranged from
10-year-olds to 45-year-olds. Pabuaran Tumpeng and Karawaci Baru
subdistricts suffered the greatest number of residents afflicted
by the disease. -- JP