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)