Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – With the Jakarta administration's deaf ear on the request to review its public order agency, a group of NGOs rallied Friday in front of the City Hall, Central Jakarta, demanding the administration dismiss the agency following its recent fatal raids on street workers.

Dozens of protesters, representing the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC), the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, the Indonesian Women's Coalition and the Urban Poor Network, forced to enter the City Hall building to meet Governor Fauzi Bowo. Their rally was blocked by police.

"The agency's officers, responsible for the death of [three] street workers, must face the legal process," Edi Saidi of the UPC said. Edi also said it was important to consider retracting the 2007 bylaw on public order, enabling the public order agency to act repressively.

"The bylaw has triggered the city administration to choose repressive measures instead of holding dialogue with people to deal with poverty-related problems," he said.

Based on existing laws, public order officers can legally take action providing it is based on the premise of maintaining public order. Three street workers died during raids conducted by the agency over the past months. On March 1, Muhamad Faisal, 17, died after a truck hit him in Central Jakarta, as he ran from officer raids.

Ari Susanto, street singer in East Jakarta, drowned in East Flood Canal to escape an agency raid. In Cengkareng, street worker Christian Adi Wibowo drowned in Mookevart River similarly.