Beggar sweep in Jakarta for Ramadan: Governor

Governor Fauzi Bowo vowed to sweep organized begging syndicates off of the streets of Jakarta during the Ramadan fasting month, which starts on Aug. 11.

“We will take strict action against organized beggars in order to make Jakarta clean and tidy,” Fauzi said Monday, adding that the city will target Jakarta’s streets and mosques.

The panhandler crackdown is authorized by a 2007 city regulation on public order, Fauzi said, as quoted by kompas.com.

The number of beggars in Jakarta usually rises during the Islamic holy month.