Devout Aceh is not shielded from problems with teens<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): It was Wednesday, ladies night at the
\ndisco here, and club hoppers gripped by Ecstasy's euphoric daze
\nwere out in force. Young people contorted their arms like
\nelectrified tree branches and swung their heads violently in the
\nsmoky room.<\/p>\n
A group of youths sat off in a dark corner reeking of the
\nmingled aromas of alcohol, marijuana and clove cigarettes. One
\nman started handing out pills to his friends, who were ordering
\nwhisky colas and other spirits. They clung tightly onto new
\nfriends acquired just hours or even minutes before.<\/p>\n
A nightly sight in Jakarta and other major cities across the
\ncountry. But in Aceh, revered as the entry point of Islam to the
\narchipelago and championed as Serambi Mekah (the Terrace of
\nMecca), it is a numbing anomaly, an ugly affront to the majority
\nof people who remain devout.<\/p>\n
First-time visitors to Aceh may hold romantic notions of
\npeople garbed in exotic traditional attire or staid Moslem
\noutfits. They would have been in for a shock at the disco, one of
\nthree in the provincial capital. The fashion accent was on trendy
\nand tight, as young women were dressed in a uniform of figure-
\nhugging jeans and branded T-shirts. Still, no woman was daring
\nenough to don a miniskirt.<\/p>\n
Aceh remains a province where tradition and custom still
\nreign, but some seamier fallout from modern life has made inroads
\nsince the early 1990s. Discos, cafes, karaoke lounges and other
\nentertainment centers are now popular hang-outs for the affluent
\nyoung. Drug and alcohol use is on the increase.<\/p>\n
Anna, a disco regular who chose to use a pseudonym, said
\nEcstasy boosts self-confidence and energy levels. Users feel a
\nsurge of energy, shaking their heads and limbs violently to
\npounding house music.<\/p>\n
\"When they are \"on\", when the drug is taking effect, they are
\nready to enter the world of fun and excitement,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"People who drink a lot of mineral water are almost certainly
\nEcstasy users, because they need lots of water to prevent
\ndehydration. Mineral water is naturally very expensive here,
\ncosting you Rp 6,500 (US$2.65) for a small bottle compared to
\nsoft drinks priced at only Rp 3,000 a glass.\"<\/p>\n
With a Rp 5,000 cover charge plus the expense of soft drinks
\nand mineral water, disco frequenters are invariably from wealthy
\nfamilies.<\/p>\n
\"Most of them are children of high-ranking government
\nofficials, rich businessmen and other prominent figures in the
\ncity,\" said Henry over the din of the music. \"Those from low-
\nincome families cannot afford this kind of entertainment.\"<\/p>\n
The average per capita income of people in Aceh reached around
\nRp 1.9 million in l996, an increase of 14.3 percent from just
\nover Rp 1.6 million the previous year, according to data from the
\nprovincial government of Aceh.<\/p>\n
Entertainment<\/p>\n
There are other entertainment venues for those of humbler
\nmeans. These include Olele Beach, 15 kilometers east of the city,
\nand Lhoknga Beach, about 20 kilometers west of Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
Teenyboppers pack the sites from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. They arrive
\non motorbikes, the popular conveyance of the city's middle-class
\nyouth, and chat in an open-air cafeteria. They later dance the
\nnight away at a beach party. Some steal intimate moments among
\nshady trees and bushes.<\/p>\n
Nurjanah, a psychologist at Syiah Kuala University in Banda
\nAceh, said that the city's youth are now more brazen in bucking
\nthe traditions of their ancestors.<\/p>\n
Nurjanah deals with juvenile delinquents and counsels on pre-
\nmarital sexual relationships, drug abuse and teenage
\nprostitution.<\/p>\n
\"Juvenile delinquency is still a case-by-case issue here,\" she
\nsaid. \"But like an iceberg, it may appear serene on the surface
\nbut it is hazardous underneath.\"<\/p>\n
She said many people in the province were still trapped in
\ndelusions of past glory, a throwback to the Aceh Darussalam was
\none of the biggest Islamic kingdoms in the world. \"They cannot
\naccept that some young people have started to turn away from the
\nexisting traditional and moral values.\"<\/p>\n
The traditional face of Acehnese society has also been altered
\nby rapid economic development and widespread availability of
\ncommunication services.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Humam, chairman of the Aceh branch office of the
\nIndonesian Planned Parenthood Association, said teens have been
\ninfluenced by increasing exposure to Western values through local
\nand international media, such as newspapers, lifestyle magazines,
\nradio and television.<\/p>\n
For necessity in receiving broadcasts of Indonesian television
\nstations, nearly every household in distant Aceh has a satellite
\ndish. These allow people to easily access news and entertainment
\nprograms from abroad, including CNN, MTV and Australia's ABC,
\naccording to Humam, whose doctorate in sociology is from the
\nUniversity of Kansas.<\/p>\n
Changing family values have also contributed to a rise in
\nadolescent problems in the province, he added.<\/p>\n
\"Young people often experience the weakening of extended
\nfamily ties and face a diminished social support network. They
\ncannot be blamed for all their doings as they are still
\nphysically and emotionally unstable,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Providing guidance has never been a simple task and vast
\nsocial change makes it even more difficult for parents to know
\nhow to help their children and prepare them for the future,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The challenges accompanying adolescence should be taken
\nseriously.<\/p>\n
\"Youth problems are very serious,\" she said. \"They deal with
\nthe group of people who will handle the country in the future.
\nParents, teachers, the government and other related parties must
\nwork hand in hand to deal with our youth.\"<\/p>\n
The task ahead is made even more difficult as each party seems
\nto be walking a different path. (raw)<\/p>",
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