A Jakarta councillor has said that a youth forum for residents of Manggarai in South Jakarta and Jl. Tambak in Central Jakarta should be formed to improve ties between the two groups and prevent the street brawls that have become commonplace in the neighborhood.

Ashraf Ali, a member of City Council Commission E, said on Sunday that councillors expected district and subdistrict heads in the area to work together with local leaders and religious figures. He added that the district and subdistrict heads should also hold various cultural and art events once a forum was established.

“Hopefully the forum can be a place for Manggarai and Tambak youth to channel their energy in a positive way,” he said as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

(Read also: Brawl breaks out between residents in South Jakarta)

On March 6, a brawl between residents of Tambak and Manggarai broke out after someone from Tambak threw a lit firecracker into a residential area in Manggarai. Most of the residents involved in the brawl were teenagers.

Because of the incident, the police temporarily closed Jl. Tambak in Central Jakarta where the brawl took place, causing a traffic jam in the area. (idb/wit)