Drug dealers 'should be sentenced to death'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In a fresh campaign against increasing drug
\ntrafficking in the city, Governor Sutiyoso aired on Friday the
\nimportance of implementing the death penalty for drug dealers.<\/p>\n
\"It's not easy to reduce drug trafficking in the city as drug
\ndealers only get light punishment,\" Sutiyoso told reporters
\nduring a visit to Kampung Bali subdistrict, Tanah Abang, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Kampung Bali has been the at the center of public attention
\nsince its residents have been actively involved in the city's war
\nagainst drugs.<\/p>\n
The governor said Indonesia could learn from the neighboring
\ncountries, such as Singapore and Malaysia, which carry out the
\ndeath penalty for drug dealers.<\/p>\n
A similar suggestion was aired by former spokesman for the
\nNational Police Headquarters Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar last
\nAugust, who called for the death penalty for drug offenders.<\/p>\n
\"Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Japan sentence drug
\ntraffickers and dealers to death. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, drug
\ndealers get out of jail within months,\" Togar said.<\/p>\n
In the absence of a severe sentence for drug traffickers,
\nSutiyoso, however, was confident that the crime could be reduced
\nwith the people's active participation in battling the drug
\ndealers.<\/p>\n
He renewed his call that residents of Jakarta should join the
\nwar against drug traffickers, saying that drugs had claimed even
\nchildren as victims.<\/p>\n
\"I'm very concerned that the traffickers have reached
\nelementary school students here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The 1997 Law on Narcotics carries the death penalty for
\nconvicted drug dealers. But in the past two years, no convicted
\ndealers have received the death sentence.<\/p>\n
Many people believed that the light sentences were handed down
\nbecause of collusion between the prosecutors, the judges and the
\nlawyers who were specially appointed by \"the mafia boss\" of the
\ndrug dealer defendants.<\/p>\n
Several prisoners convicted of drug dealing easily escaped
\nfrom the Salemba penitentiary in Central Jakarta earlier this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
However Sutiyoso hailed the Kampung Bali residents on Friday
\nfor their initiatives in declaring war against drug traffickers.
\nThe suit was then followed by other residents in the city.<\/p>\n
\"Keep fighting against drug dealers. If you notice that police
\nofficers release the drug dealers that you have arrested, just
\nlet me know. I will report it to the police chief,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the public could send letters containing information
\nabout the police officers to P.O. Box 008.<\/p>\n
Kampung Bali subdistrict head Siswanto said the residents had
\narrested 25 suspected drug dealers and users since the first
\ndeclaration of the war against drugs in July this year.<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately, many of the suspects were released by the
\npolice because of a lack of evidence,\" Siswanto said.<\/p>\n
He said his office recorded that 87 residents are drug addicts
\nand needed medical treatment.<\/p>\n
He said only five of the victims were now in a drug
\nrehabilitation center but the remaining 82 residents have yet to
\nbe treated as they are poor.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso promised to help pay the medical bills of the 82 drug
\nvictims. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drug-dealers-should-be-sentenced-to-death-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}