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Jakarta continues to send beggars home
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Staying firm -- Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama (right) vows to send home beggars netted by the Jakarta Social Agency. (thejakartapost.com/Wienda Parwitasari)
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span style="font-size:11.0pt">Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has expressed his commitment to continue returning beggars and buskers netted by the Jakarta Social Affairs Agency during Ramadhan to their hometowns.
“We will keep sending them home. We will also give them a statement letter [they must sign], which reads that if they come back to Jakarta after they are sent home, they will receive a criminal punishment,” Ahok said at City Hall on Wednesday.
Since the beginning of the fasting month, the Social Affairs Agency, in cooperation with the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and Indonesian Military and National Police personnel, has arrested around 600 beggars across the capital.
On Tuesday, the Jakarta administration sent 112 beggars and buskers netted by Central Jakarta and West Jakarta authorities during Ramadhan back to their hometowns in provinces such as in West Java and Central Java. They were transported to their hometowns by buses provided by the city.
"They have signed a stamped statement on their commitment not to come back to Jakarta. If they dare coming back to Jakarta, they will deal with the police,” said Central Jakarta Social Agency head Susana Budi Susilowati on Tuesday. (ebf)
