Tangerang – Some 500 traders from Cileduk, Cipadu and Lembang traditional markets staged a rally at newly built Cileduk central business district in Tangerang municipality, on Saturday.

The protested the opening of a new outlet of the French retail giant Carrefour. They demanded the opening be stopped out of fear that having Carrefour near the traditional markets will put them out of business.

"We won't be able to compete with the giant modern hypermarket," said Ngadirum, secretary general of the Indonesian Traditional Market Traders Association.

M. Sa'ban, manager of the central business district said there had been meetings with the traders but that Carrefour would open anyway. Meetings "with the traders... always end in deadlock. We are confused," he said, adding there was no problem with Carrefour's permits.

Toto Sitanggang of Tangerang city council acknowledged that mediation efforts had failed. "We could no nothing because Carrefour got its permits from had from the central government."

However, he sided with the traders. "We expect the local administration to stop the unfair and inappropriate expansion of modern retail stores, which is causing small market traders to suffer losses."