Kalijodo feeds from corruption, poverty

Feeding from the honeypot of institutional corruption and protracted urban poverty, the notorious Kalijodo red-light district, located on the border of West Jakarta and North Jakarta, epitomizes the capital’s underbelly.

The livelihoods of at least 5,000 people are tied to the continued existence of the district.
Kalijodo, the bizarre love child of organized crime and a corrupt bureaucracy and law-enforcement system, is a cash cow. Besides the obvious corrupt officials looking for a slice of the pie, chronic urban poverty and unemployment are also key factors behind Kalijodo’s thriving flesh trade.

The neighboring residential areas of the complex are among Jakarta’s poorest, for whom a sliver of the proceeds from Kalijodo’s lucrative business has always meant a lot.