Judicial Operation

In an effort to minimize the number of new comers in the capital city, the Jakarta government will conduct a Population Judicial Operation on 23 and 30 October 2008. The Head of the Population & Civil Registration Section Franky Panjaitan stated on Monday 6 October that the operation will involve more than 400 joint personels of the Social Section, the Law & Order Section, the Police, District Attorney office and the District Court. This operation will be continued in November and December 2008, with a total budget of Rp 900 million. Further, he said that the purpose is not to keep new comers away from Jakarta, because basically everyone may come to Jakarta as long as they fulfill the population administrative requirements. Those who stayed more than 14 days should obtain staying permit from the local village (Kelurahan). For which purpose they should bring official letter from the authority at their place of origin, have a clear place to stay, and have clear job. If they only want to stay temporarily, the local village(Kelurahan) will give them temporary Identity card. If they want to stay permanently, they should fulfill all the requirements. Visitors who don't have an Identity Card or Temporary Stay Permit shall be fined with the maximum amount of Rp 5 million, or maximum imprisonment of 3 months. Last year there were 2,000 people punnished. Further, the government will send Beggars and Tramps back to their home town, for which purpose the government will provide transportation. This operation which is conducted based on Provincial Regulation No.4 Year 2004, has been protested by Human Rights activists because it would be contrary to the United Nations Human Right Convention which has been ratified by the Indonesian government and People's Representative Council in 2005.
Although the Judicial Operation may be justified to limit the number of illegal people coming to the city, however it should be supplemented by other actions such as : being firm on the usage of land based on the city's Master Plan. For example, maintainance of 'Open/green Land' according to the city's Master Plan. Parks should remain parks. Lands that are close to waterways should not be inhabitted. The fact shows that many lands which are supposed to be for parks are used for shopping malls, empty lands very closed to waterways are filled with housings, all of which decreased area needed for water reservoir and causing floods. And usage of trotoir/ pavement public roads by street hawkers has narrowed the roads & caused traffic jam.