IJI.RED — TANGERANG — AUGUST 17, 2026 – STAGED ENFORCEMENT, ALLEGED ILLEGAL LEVIES, AND QUESTIONABLE LAW ENFORCEMENT — WHEN WILL THE TANGERANG CITY GOVERNMENT, CIPONDOH DISTRICT HEAD, AND SATPOL PP STOP PLAYING GAMES WITH THE PEOPLE?
Across Indonesia, the Red and White flag is being raised with pride. Ceremonies are being held, the national anthem is being sung, and officials stand solemnly as if they are the rightful heirs of the spirit of the heroes who proclaimed Indonesia’s independence 81 years ago.
But at GOR Gondrong, Cipondoh District, Tangerang City, independence can feel like a cruel joke.
What residents see is not the presence of the state, but what appears to be a performance. What they experience is not legal protection, but enforcement that they say is applied against the weak. What they receive is not adequate public service, but repeated disappointment from institutions that are supposed to work for them.
The street-vendor issue at GOR Gondrong is no longer merely a matter of public order. It has become a symbol of questions surrounding the Tangerang City Government’s ability to manage public space, enforce regulations consistently, and respond to allegations of illegal levies.
ENFORCEMENT THAT LOOKS LIKE A PERFORMANCE — WHEN THE CAMERAS STOP, THE PROBLEM RETURNS
Whenever an enforcement operation is conducted, the authorities appear to demonstrate that they are taking action. Officers line up, official vehicles arrive, warnings are issued, and vendors are removed from public areas.
The activities are photographed, documented, and reported as evidence that the government is working.
But residents ask a much simpler question:
What happens after the cameras are gone?
If vendors return, stalls are rebuilt, and allegations of illegal levies continue, then the public has every right to question whether the enforcement has actually solved anything.
Successful enforcement should not be measured by the number of officers deployed, the number of photographs taken, or the number of activity reports produced.
It should be measured by one fundamental question:
Does the area remain orderly after the authorities leave?
If the answer is no, then the government must evaluate why its enforcement strategy repeatedly fails to produce lasting results.
TANGERANG CITY GOVERNMENT: UNABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, OR UNWILLING TO DO SO?
The Tangerang City Government is now facing questions from residents.
Why, after repeated enforcement operations, does the situation around GOR Gondrong continue to generate complaints?
How much public money has been spent on enforcement operations that allegedly fail to produce lasting results?
Who is responsible for evaluating those operations?
Why do allegations concerning illegal collections continue to surface?
And why do ordinary vendors appear to receive immediate enforcement attention while those allegedly controlling or collecting money from trading spaces are questioned by the public as seemingly untouched?
These are not accusations of guilt. They are questions that require evidence, transparency, and official answers.
If there are allegations of illegal levies, intimidation, unauthorized management of public space, or improper use of government assets, the responsible institutions should investigate them through lawful procedures.
CIPONDOH DISTRICT AND SATPOL PP: TOUGH ON SMALL VENDORS, BUT WHERE IS THE SAME TOUGHNESS AGAINST ALLEGED ILLEGAL LEVIES?
Satpol PP is mandated to enforce regional regulations and maintain public order.
That authority carries a responsibility: enforcement must be consistent, transparent, and based on the law.
Residents therefore have the right to ask whether the same determination used against street vendors is also being applied to investigate allegations of illegal collections and unauthorized control over public spaces.
If illegal levies are occurring, who is collecting them?
Who receives the money?
Is there an official permit?
Is there a legitimate management agreement?
Does the money enter an official government account, or does it go elsewhere?
These questions should not be answered with silence.
They should be answered with documents, facts, and accountability.
ALLEGED EXPLOITATION OF GOVERNMENT ASSETS: WHO ACTUALLY CONTROLS THE LAND?
One of the most serious issues raised by residents concerns the alleged commercial use of government-owned land at GOR Gondrong.
If the land is indeed a government asset, its utilization should be governed by clear regulations, official documentation, and accountable management.
Yet residents claim that trading spaces, parking areas, carts, and other activities are being arranged and monetized by certain parties.
If such allegations are proven, the public deserves to know:
Who authorized the activity?
Where is the permit?
Who signed it?
Who manages the space?
Where does the money go?
Is the revenue recorded in the government’s official financial system?
And if there is no authorization, why has the activity allegedly been allowed to continue?
These questions must be investigated rather than converted into political rhetoric.
CUTTING THE GRASS WITHOUT REMOVING THE ROOTS
If the government truly wants to resolve the GOR Gondrong problem, enforcement cannot stop at removing vendors.
The authorities must examine the entire system.
Who controls the trading spaces?
Who collects payments?
Who manages parking?
Who organizes the vendors?
Are there threats or intimidation?
Are there officials or other parties improperly involved?
Are government assets being commercially exploited without proper authorization?
These questions require investigation.
Vendors should not automatically be treated as the sole source of the problem. Many street vendors are ordinary citizens trying to earn a living.
If unlawful activity exists around them, the government should distinguish between the people trying to survive and those allegedly exploiting the situation.
PHOTOGRAPHS ARE NOT PROOF OF SUCCESS
A photograph proves that an activity took place.
It does not automatically prove that the problem was solved.
A photograph cannot prove that illegal levies disappeared.
A photograph cannot prove that public assets are properly managed.
A photograph cannot prove that residents are protected.
A photograph cannot prove that public order will remain intact after the enforcement officers leave.
The real measure of government performance is measurable and sustainable change.
That is what residents are demanding.
THE 81ST ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE: HAS FREEDOM REACHED THE SMALL PEOPLE?
On Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day, officials will speak about freedom, justice, sovereignty, and service to the people.
But independence must be more than ceremony.
For ordinary citizens, independence means being able to earn a living without intimidation, access public services without fear, and receive equal protection under the law.
If illegal levies occur, they must be investigated.
If government assets are being used without authorization, the documentation must be examined.
If officials are involved in wrongdoing, they must be held accountable through due process.
If allegations are false, authorities should also provide evidence to clear the institutions and individuals being questioned.
That is how the state demonstrates its presence.
THE PEOPLE’S DEMANDS ARE SIMPLE
The Tangerang City Government, Cipondoh District administration, and Satpol PP should:
1. Conduct a transparent investigation into allegations of illegal levies around GOR Gondrong.
2. Verify the legal status and management of every commercial activity operating on government-owned land.
3. Publish clear information about permits, management agreements, and revenue collection where legally appropriate.
4. Investigate anyone alleged to have intimidated or unlawfully collected money from vendors.
5. Ensure that enforcement is applied fairly and does not target only vulnerable street vendors.
6. Provide lawful and realistic solutions for vendors rather than relying solely on repeated eviction operations.
7. Evaluate why previous enforcement operations have allegedly failed to produce lasting order.
8. Take disciplinary or legal action if violations are proven, regardless of the person’s position or connections.
THE PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF THE PERFORMANCE
Eighty-one years of independence should be enough time for the state to prove that law enforcement is not merely ceremonial.
Residents do not need another photograph.
They do not need another banner.
They do not need another statement promising that everything is under control.
They need results.
They need transparency.
They need equal treatment before the law.
And above all, they need proof that public assets are truly being managed for the public interest.
GOR Gondrong should not become a place where allegations of illegal collections, unauthorized commercial activity, and repeated enforcement failures are allowed to become normal.
The government must prove that it is stronger than disorder, stronger than illegal practices, and stronger than any individual or group attempting to control public assets for private benefit.
IJI.RED will continue to monitor developments surrounding GOR Gondrong and urge all relevant authorities to investigate every allegation objectively, transparently, and according to law.
The public does not demand that anyone be condemned without evidence.
The public demands something more fundamental:
Investigate. Verify. Explain. And, if violations are proven, enforce the law without fear or favoritism.
Redaction: David E., S.E.
