Indonesia: Medan Puts Squeeze on Beggars and Tourists Who Give

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | August 8th, 2007 | Trackback

The North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan has drafted a law to levy heavy fines on tourists or others who give money to beggars. A charitable act could cost the giver the equivalent of $660 if the law is passed and enforced, and the beggar could face up to six weeks in jail. The law is an attempt to clear the city’s 11,000 beggars off the streets and was prompted in part by a survey that showed they were taking home $6 a day, more than the average wage in Medan and three times what half the Indonesian population lives on. Some beggars are members of organized gangs that harass tourists, but others are simply indigent.

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