Scratching the Surface

Preman, or hoodlums, are being pursued and penalized. Without an integrated strategy, can violence against violence ever solve the problem?

April 24, 2001

GOVERNOR of Jakarta Sutiyoso has sounded a war cry against preman. He is determined to rid Jakarta of hooliganism. It seems that Sutiyoso wishes to restore Jakarta's reputation as a center of trade, government, and politics. Jakarta is indeed a glamorous metropolis. Skyscrapers and recreation venues abound. All kinds of luxury cars crawl back and forth. But now the economic crisis has struck and poverty is rising. Statistics from 1999 showed tha...

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