[Kabar-indonesia] Jakarta News: Thuggery, radicalism vague, police chief says

[Joyo at aol.com]

8 reports:

- Thuggery, radicalism vague, police chief says 
- Work resumes on terror squad building 
- It's no fair for small-scale traders 
- Fair visitors there to window-shop 
- Big shoe welcomes well-heeled to new mall 
- Culture agency to introduce city to its residents 
- Cabin crew given life vest lecture 
- 'People must control their behavior'

The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, June 24, 2006

Thuggery, radicalism vague, police chief says

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Adang Firman has said
it is difficult to do much about the gangs and radical
organizations that operate in the city because the
concepts are unrecognized by the law.

"The thing is, the terms thuggery and radicalism do
not occur in the terminology of law," Adang said
Friday, explaining that while someone could be
arrested for committing a crime, being perceived as a
thug, or someone who wanted to bring about extreme
change, were not offenses.

"We, the police, only recognize such terms as
extortion, robbery and acts of violence.

"As for the term 'radicalism', we simply define it as
the act of taking the law into one's own hands, which
could disrupt public order," he said.

For that reason, Adang said, the police could not just
take action against or disband groups because they
were considered radical.

The police, he stressed, could only take action
against individuals who violated the law.

He said crimes originate and develop in the public
sphere and, thus, the public basically knows more
about crime than the police. "We expect the public to
give us information about crimes."

Adang said police would employ a persuasive approach.

"We'll ask them why they commit acts of anarchy. We
want to know the background," he said. "We'll approach
them and try to reach an understanding, so that they
won't do it again."

Indonesian Police Watch chairman Neta S. Pane said the
police must be able to translate the concepts of
thuggery and radicalism into acts committed by people.

"The acts of robbery and extortion are very clear. We
can see these acts being committed everywhere in
Jakarta," he told The Jakarta Post.

Adang vowed, soon after he was installed as city
police chief, that controlling militants and radical
organizations was on his list of priorities.

There has been growing public apprehension about the
activities of religious and ethnic organizations using
violence to promote their agendas.

The Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and the Islam
Defenders Front (FPI) are among the organizations the
public has urged the authorities to disband.

The two, however, have refused to be labeled as groups
of thugs and militants.

FBR chairman Fadloli El Muhir even reported former
first lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahid to the police for
allegedly defaming and inciting hatred against the
group.

In her statement made a week before filing a lawsuit
against Fadloli, Sinta said the organization was a
group of anarchists.

"Who said we're anarchists? She has to prove what
she's saying," Fadloli said in an interview.

Police are still investigating the report from the FBR
and the charges made by Sinta against Fadloli.

Fadloli has been named a suspect for defaming women,
including Sinta and playwright Ratna Sarumpaet.

Police said the case would be ready to be submitted to
the prosecutor's office in July.

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The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, June 24, 2006

Work resumes on terror squad building

JAKARTA: Construction has resumed on a 23-story
building for the city police's antiterror squad
Detachment 88.

Work on the building, located in the complex housing
the Jakarta Police, had been postponed since August
2005.

"The administration has disbursed Rp 16 billion (about
US$1.7 million) from the 2006 state budget to finance
its construction," new city police chief Insp. Gen.
Adang Firman said Friday.

Costing the city a total of Rp 660 billion to build,
the controversial project is easily the police's
largest building, with two main halls with a total
capacity of 1,000 people.

Detachment 88 is a special unit under the National
Police dealing with terrorism.

The establishment of the squad was endorsed by the
United States, through its Diplomatic Security
Service. Officers in the unit are trained by members
of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Federal
Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service.

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The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, June 24, 2006

It's no fair for small-scale traders

More than four decades after it was first held, the
annual Jakarta Fair has veered far away from its
humble beginnings.

When former governor Ali Sadikin initiated the event
in the 1960s, as a way for people to celebrate the
city's anniversary, it took place in National Monument
(Monas) park.

Later, it presented small-scale vendors with an
opportunity to promote their products and make good
money.

These days, the monthlong fair remains a fun place for
parents to take their children, but, in terms of
business, it holds limited promise.

Established businesses occupy much of the grounds,
while small- and medium-scale entrepreneurs cram their
wares into inferior spaces on the fairgrounds'
peripheries.

Street food vendors, who at one time were the main
attraction of the fair, are clustered around the
exhibition area.

Just like the city, the annual fair has lost much of
its color, though that does not mean its popularity is
dwindling.

The fair in North Jakarta is one of the only cheap
forms of entertainment open to families in the school
holidays.

Pop and dangdut singers perform on the main stage of
the fair, which is sponsored by the country's
second-largest cigarette manufacturer.

But children and some parents might find the sideshow
a welcome diversion.

Photo: Dangdut singers lend glamor to the event (upper
left), while children occupy themselves with sideshow
games and rides. (bottom left). Despite the promise of
big discounts, not all visitors to the fair have the
means to go shopping (upper right). Street vendors
sell traditional snacks like kerak telor (crisp
omelette made from duck eggs). Photo and text by R.
Berto Wedhatama

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The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, June 24, 2006

Fair visitors there to window-shop

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Emerging from the crowd of people in Hall C of the
Jakarta Fair venue in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, a
woman approached a stand selling handicrafts,
inquiring about the prices for some of the items on
display.

After bargaining with the owner for a few minutes, she
blended back into the crowd, empty-handed.

"I'm getting used to these kinds of customers. I know
that people come here just to window-shop but I have
to do everything I can to make a sale," said the
owner, Priyo, who came from Bantul, Central Java, with
his handicrafts.

He blamed his slow sales during the first week of the
Jakarta Fair on the World Cup, which he said had drawn
attention from the one-month fair.

Vendors and producers of a wide variety of items, from
traditional handicrafts to automotive items, look
forward to the annual Jakarta Fair, the city's largest
exhibition and festival. Offering entertainment such
as music concerts, traditional dances and street
magicians, the fair never fails to draw large numbers
of Jakartans and people from outside the city.

According to data from fair organizer PT Jakarta
International Expo (JI Expo), the number of visitors
was up 10 percent during the first week of the fair
from last year, with more than 500,000 people making
their way to the venue as of Friday.

The challenge, however, is translating higher
attendance numbers into more sales. Discounts and
special deals don't seem to be doing the trick.

In the venue's open space, lined with stands selling
food, drinks, motorcycles, cars and auto accessories,
Ariesca Andrian of Auto 2000 car dealership
acknowledged that business was slow.

"This year is a tough season. Despite the central
bank's lower interest rate, and the fact that
macroeconomic conditions are getting better, I sense
that people's purchasing power is still low," he said.

He added that his stand had sold only seven minivans,
far fewer than last year.

He said it was difficult to persuade visitors to buy
because they had other priorities on which to spend
their resources.

Toni, who was at the fair with his wife and children,
said he was only there for some inexpensive family
entertainment.

"I didn't come here to buy a car or anything
expensive, just to entertain my children with some
rides and snacks," he said. He added that he didn't
need any handicrafts or clothes, and his budget didn't
allow for such purchases.

JI Expo president director Hartati Murdaya said people
were being more careful with their money and buying
less.

"But I'm optimistic they will come back to make some
purchases. We provide almost everything they need
here," she said.

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The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, June 24, 2006 

Big shoe welcomes well-heeled to new mall

A lot of people think it is still under construction,
but a new shopping experience awaits Jakartans at
Senayan City on Jl. Asia Afrika, South Jakarta.

Not all its occupants have settled in either. A number
of outlets in the eight-story mall, which is just
across the road from its number one competitor, Plaza
Senayan, are not yet doing business.

Senayan City was officially opened Friday by property
tycoon Trihatma K. Haliman and a number of other
shareholders in the project.

With an area of more than 48,000 square meters,
Senayan City, claims to be setting the trend for
high-end malls.

Its occupancy rate is 92 percent, said Handaka
Santosa, the operator's chief executive officer who
also heads the Indonesian Retailers' Association.

"This is a nice alternative to the other malls,"
shopper Rita Chandra said. "The atmosphere here is
similar to that of Pondok Indah Mall 2."

"They sure picked the right time to open, the school
holidays." she said.

Other than its staggering three-story tall main
escalator, which is "dressed" for the occasion as a
bright red high-heel shoe, there is nothing distinct
about the interior.

Neither are the shops much different from the ones in
other upmarket malls.

However, an unfinished lower courtyard outside could
potentially serve as an escape from the
air-conditioned shopping environments to which many
Jakartans have become accustomed.

Claiming to be the first mixed-use property in the
city, Senayan City will eventually accommodate office
spaces, to be occupied by private television station
SCTV, a five-star hotel managed by Sofitel as well as
apartment units.

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The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, June 24, 2006

Culture agency to introduce city to its residents

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration wants residents to fully enjoy
Jakarta as a center for culture.

"Jakarta has been slapped with all sorts of images,
you name it. But somehow it has never been known as a
city of culture. We're trying to change that," Jakarta
Culture and Museum Agency head Aurora Tambunan, known
to colleagues and friends as Lola, said Friday.

In conjunction with the 479th anniversary of the city
this month, and following up on the 2006 Year of Arts
and Culture launched by President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono last year, the agency has prepared a series
of events to reintroduce Jakartans to the diversity
and richness of the capital city.

"Our main priority is to protect the Betawi culture,
but we are also overseeing other cultures that develop
within Jakarta, including those from other regions and
even other countries," Lola said.

An exhibition will be held between June 29 and July 30
to introduce the public to Jakarta's prehistorical
heritage at the Jakarta Historical Museum.

Never before exhibited artifacts will be showcased --
contributions from private collectors, and the result
of excavation and research conducted by the agency
between 1970 and the 1990s.

The agency will also be introducing Jakarta's museums
to state elementary school students across Jakarta
next month, in the spirit of "get them while they're
young".

"Our people will first give a talk at the schools
about the museum they will visit. Two weeks later, the
students will be able to see the museum for
themselves," Lola said, explaining that in this way
students would acquire more in-depth knowledge about
the museums and their exhibits.

Museums participating in the program include the
Jakarta History Museum, the Puppet Museum, the Fine
Arts and Ceramics Museum, the Textile Museum, the
Maritime Museum and the Gedung Joang '45 Museum.

Also in July, the agency will once again hold a lights
parade, the Jakarnaval, on July 8 with mobile floats
decorated with plenty of colorful lights to make them
attractive.

As with last year's parade, it will start at 7 p.m. at
City Hall and will travel along the main thoroughfare
to end at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.

"The popular band, Serieus, will have its own float,
and we hope this year we'll have more floats in the
parade," Lola said.

The next night, on July 9, music festival Gelegar
Musik Megapolitan (megalopolitan music blast) will be
held at National Monument (Monas) square, Central
Jakarta, featuring artists from the capital including
dangdut singer Iis Dahlia and rock band Naif.

The festivities will end at 10 p.m. on the dot to give
avid soccer fans enough time to get home and catch the
World Cup matches.

"This will provide Jakartans with entertainment
alternatives, as well as proving that Jakarta is a
safe city even for night entertainment," Lola said.

In August, the agency will present the Culture Award
to outstanding artists and groups that have
contributed to the city's arts and cultural
development, as well as to individuals and companies
that help preserve Jakarta's heritage buildings.

"During the event we will also launch the three series
of the Jakarta Encyclopedia," Lola said.

Upcoming events:

June 24: Pecenongan Folk Festival in the Pecenongan
area, Central Jakarta, beginning at 7 p.m.

June 24: Betawi Comedy Show at Kampung Bola in the
East parking lot of the Bung Karno Sports Complex,
beginning at 6:30 p.m. and ending just before the
World Cup matches.

June 29: Passer Baroe Festival in Pasar Baru, Central
Jakarta.

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The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, June 24, 2006

Cabin crew given life vest lecture

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

"Your life vest is located under your seat. To put the
vest on, slip it over your head," the standard safety
lecture begins.

Some passengers roll their eyes when the flight
attendant goes through the life vest drill.

Others do not completely ignore the instructions. They
promptly locate their life vest, then stuff it in
their bag to take home as a souvenir, said Batavia Air
flight attendant Ratna

"It sounds simple. In fact, it requires a special
technique. We go through it carefully with passengers
but many of them ignore us," the 24-year-old, who has
been working for the airline for two years, told The
Jakarta Post on the sidelines of wet drill training
Friday.

The training, attended by 20 Batavia Air cabin crew,
was held in the swimming pool of the Bung Karno Sports
Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

The flight attendants were taught how to inflate a
life vest while jumping and how to use the life raft,
including lifting passengers into it. It is important
for a passenger not to inflate their life vest before
exiting the aircraft because its bulkiness can prevent
them from getting out.

However, during the training session, some of the
younger attendants struggled to inflate their life
vests while jumping into the swimming pool. Jerking
the tabs on the side is not as easy as it sounds.

Many people have expressed concerns over flight safety
amid fierce competition since the liberalization of
the country's airline industry several years ago.

Some observers fear that budget carriers, which often
lease older planes for their fleets, might sacrifice
flight safety and aircraft maintenance in order to
keep their operational costs down.

Cahya, a Batavia Air safety instructor and senior
flight attendant, said the company provided regular
training for all cabin crew.

"We remind cabin crew they must control their
emotions. It's essential they stay calm so they can
guide passengers to use the safety equipment and jump
through the exits," she said.

Batavia Air employs 14 pilots and 250 flight
attendants.

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The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, June 24, 2006

'People must control their behavior'

Jakarta is a city where high-rise buildings loom over
shanties and rows of kiosks stand in the shadows of
shopping malls. As the city celebrates its 479th
anniversary, The Jakarta Post asked residents about
their perceptions of the city.

Kunto Anindito, 36, is an urban researcher for a
private university.

He lives in Joglo, West Jakarta:

Jakarta is a city full of challenges. Like most cities
in Indonesia, it is actually only trying to look
modern. Its development in fact follows a traditional
pattern.

However, it is these characteristics that make it
unique.

Infrastructure remains the most crucial problem to be
dealt with. If the administration is to invest in
something, it should be in providing better
infrastructure.

Its inhabitants must also learn to control their
behavior. That applies to all people, regardless of
their social or financial status.

Rita Chandra, 29, is a housewife with two children.
She lives in Kemandoran, West Jakarta:

It seems that as the city develops, so too does the
number of problems here. More roads only means more
traffic and more pollution.

My husband cannot even afford quality time with our
children since he's usually held up in the traffic for
hours before he can get home.

And, on weekends, there are so few ways you can spend
time with your family.

But, overall, the city does provide opportunities for
people to climb the social ladder, at least
financially.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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