Two illegal Puncak brothels demolished

BOGOR (JP): Bogor regency officials demolished two illegal brothels in the Puncak area yesterday.

Fauzi Si'in, the leader of a 100-strong team of public order officials that carried out the demolitions, said the regency tore down the businesses in response to pressure from local Moslem preachers.

"The operation was a real answer from local authorities to the request of 135 Moslem preachers, who demanded that the area be cleared of immoral activities," said Fauzi, who is also head of the regency inspector's office.

Local Moslem preachers and residents have repeatedly visited the city council here, demanding the regent permanently close the area's entertainment spots.

Hundreds of people stoned at least 12 discotheques on July 30 as the long-running feud over alleged immoral activities showed signs of completely boiling over.

The two illegal brothels destroyed yesterday were Wisma Cempaka in Kampung Cibubutan, Tugu Selatan village, and Puas Motor in Kampung Alun-alun, Cibeureum village. Both were in Cisarua district.

Fauzi said the two structures had been built without any permits.

"The two establishments offered rooms and young girls."

The regency's team, utilizing a bulldozer, demolished Wisma Cempaka without any resistance from its owners.

The officials, however, ran into some resistance from Puas Motor's owner, Yusuf, who engaged the team's leaders in a heated debate before the building was destroyed.

"Yusuf claimed he had rented the building to a man named Ombi for the last eight months. He also denied that the building was used as a brothel," Fauzi said.

During the argument, Yusuf fell silent when confronted by H. Abdullah, a local preacher, who said the building was infamous for its sex business. He claimed that even though Ombi had rented the facility, Yusuf had done nothing to stop the immoral activities from continuing.

"This location is infamous for being a sex business. All people here know that," Abdullah said.

The demolition later went on amid the cries of Yusuf's family, who did not have the heart to watch the building being torn down.

The demolished businesses were two of 50 entertainment spots and massage parlors in Puncak and its surrounding area. Only four of them have permits from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Fauzi said.

The four businesses with permits are Studio 20, Parama and Monggo Mas in Puncak and Arya Duta in Lido. (ivy/24)