Begging Syndicates

I have been to many countries and I have seen plenty of beggers in big cities around the world. I often wondered whether these street beggers are part of a begging syndicate.  They seem well organized and are well protected within well defined territories.

Recently I saw a press report.   At least 850 street beggers were caught in the first 10 days of Ramadan by the Jakarta Social Agency, of which at least 83 were infants. Commenting on the arrests and the presence of infants, Amidhan, head of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said: “They use babies as tools to make money. That can’t be tolerated. This is Ramadan, a month where we should do more goodness in the world.”

According to Budiarjo who heads the Jakarta Social Agency: “During questioning, most confessed to being forced by syndicates to beg.” He added: “There are six people we suspect of coordinating the beggars, but we still need to monitor them and investigate further.”

So in a bid to get rid of the begging syndicates, Budiarjo said: “We told them as long as they are willing to testify against the syndicate, they would be in a good hands.” By this he meant that the arrested street beggers would be registered, taken to a shelter and given training to make it unnecessary for them to beg anymore.

But the begging business won’t thrive if nobody gives to street beggers.  So the Jakarta Municipal Administration has now decided to enforce a 2007 city bylaw which will penalize those giving cash to street beggers. The penalty for violating this city bylaw is a fine of up to Rp 20 million (approximately US$2,000) or up to 60 days in jail.  Already 12 people have been arrested in Jakarta.

What do people think of the city bylaw?  Amidhan, head of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said: “If people give money to those who are really in need because they are disabled, they should not be arrested, but if they give to those who aren’t really needy, they should be charged.”

Think about it.  Isn’t it cruel to force people to beg?  Don’t these begging syndicates have moral conscience at all?  As long as there are begging syndicates involved, doing good by giving to street beggers won’t benefit the beggers at all.  It is but a get-rich scam by the begging syndicates. Yet not giving seem cruel to some people.  So where is the balance?