Vendors clash with officers at Senen market
Vendors clash with officers at Senen market
JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of sidewalk vendors operating in Senen
market in Central Jakarta clashed yesterday with public order
officers, who were assigned to reorganize the market.
The vendors refused to comply with an order that they relocate
to the fourth floor of the market building. They insisted on
staying on the first floor, saying no buyers would go to the
fourth floor.
Tension increased when the vendors stopped officers from
relocating their merchandise about 1:30 p.m.
About 50 officers from the Central Jakarta Police precinct and
military district were deployed to settle the dispute.
The precinct's deputy chief, Maj. Ronny Syompie, who also went
to the market to calm down angry vendors, invited them to talk
with him. However, the head of Senen market, Ramelan, was absent.
Ronny said the operation was conducted yesterday in accordance
with the governor's order that Senen market be put in order.
"By moving to the fourth floor, you can work safely and your
buyers can shop comfortably as well, no longer on the crowded
sidewalk like this," he told vendors.
He suggested they follow the order as the municipality has
prepared a plan to improve the market's chaotic state.
Heril Astrapradja, secretary of the Senen district office,
said that his office had notified vendors of the plan and urged
them to move off the sidewalk.
But the vendors insisted on staying put until after Idul
Fitri, when they agreed to relocate.
The clean-up operation in Senen started Saturday when the
municipality deployed 277 men to reorganize the market's sidewalk
vendors.
The operation was jointly conducted by the Central Jakarta
mayoralty's public order officers, Central Jakarta military
district and Central Jakarta Police precinct.
During Saturday's operation, 15 rusty trucks were removed and
some of the sidewalk vendors' carts, umbrellas and scales were
confiscated.
The team also listed 42 vendors who will be moved from the
sidewalk to the fourth floor.
"We've given them enough time and the municipality has built
kiosks on the fourth floor to accommodate them," Heril said.
Some vendors admitted that kiosks had been bought but never
used and some were converted to prostitution houses.
Lian Hutapea, one of the vendors, said that he was offered a
one meter by one and a half meter kiosk for Rp 1 million (US$200)
by a market staffer.
"Every vendor here knows who he is, just ask them," he said
without naming the employee.
H. Mangunsong, a bag seller who has been working at Senen
market for the last 15 years, said he objected to the
municipality's cleanup.
They should be more humane when dealing with the vendors, he
said.
"We're not animals ... we can talk and compromise, so please
send us a letter beforehand and don't just come and confiscate
our merchandise."
On Dec. 12 the Christian vendors held a night prayer on the
first floor of the market and prayed for success and wealth,
Mangunsong said. But it ended up the other way around the next
morning, he said.
"They (the officers) don't know how we feel when they just
kick around our merchandise like it is garbage."
The vendors said they were willing to move, in principle, but
they demanded a new stairway be built to the fourth floor so
buyers could more easily enter and leave.
"We understand that the main stairway at the front of the
market is no longer enough because people like to sit down and
chat there for hours," Heril said, promising that he would convey
the vendors' wish to his boss. (04)