Vendors upset over expulsion for APEC

Vendors upset over expulsion for APEC

JAKARTA (JP): Street vendors mounted a protest yesterday
against the city administration's drive to expel them from main
roads during the run-up to the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) meeting next month.

Vendors from the Jakarta Street Vendors Society (PPAJ) said in
a statement made available to The Jakarta Post that they strongly
reject the administration's order that prohibits them from doing
business along main streets for the fifteen days before and after
the summit meeting on Nov. 15.

"Selling food and drink and other goods along the streets is
our only source of income. How can we support our families if the
administration prevents us from doing our jobs?" asked Sukirno,
head of the PPAJ, currently with 348 members.

The city administration is increasing the number of law
enforcement officers deployed to sweep street vendors from main
roads with the aim of keeping order and security in the city
during the meeting.

The main goal of the operation is to step up security
precautions in potentially dangerous areas in the city.

In the first, from Oct. 1 and 20, the officers persuaded
street vendors not to sell their goods on the streets. During the
second phase, which started on Oct. 21, the officers started
arresting stubborn street vendors who persisted in their efforts
to trade on the streets.

Sukirno urged the city administration to pay more attention to
their condition.

"So far we have become the targets of the city
administration's various operations. We have frequently been
chased out, arrested and even clobbered by the law enforcement
officers without being given alternatives," he said.

"We do not know what the APEC meeting is for. We have only
been told that many foreign guests are coming here for the
meeting," he said.

However, should the city administration sacrifice our fate
just for the sake of supporting the meeting? Sukirno asked, who
also urged members of the House of Representatives to help solve
the problem.

He added, "we just have one demand: Let us continue trading
along the streets so we can support our families and our
children." (hhr)