Firearms market thriving in scared Jakarta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some victims of the mid-May riots probably wish
\nthey had kept tear gas or guns on hand to protect their family
\nand property from the mob violence.<\/p>\n
But the rampant lawlessness and the sluggish response of
\nsecurity forces during the three days of mayhem has apparently
\ngiven a good lesson for many wealthy families in the capital,
\nparticularly Chinese-Indonesians and expatriates.<\/p>\n
Some firmly believe their only resort is to arm themselves
\nagainst the worst.<\/p>\n
\"We have no choice. Moreover, nobody wants to die in vain,\"
\nsaid a businessman who recently purchased a South Korean-made
\ntear-gas gun GS 117 for Rp 10 million.<\/p>\n
Entire neighborhoods are banding together. In the Mangga Besar
\narea of West Jakarta, residents collected Rp 16 million to buy a
\nM-16 assault rifle.<\/p>\n
Home to hundreds of thousands of Chinese-Indonesians, West
\nJakarta was the worst-hit area during the rioting.<\/p>\n
The Mangga Besar residents would not reveal who sold them the
\nAmerican-made semiautomatic gun. It is a standard weapon of the
\nArmed Forces (ABRI).<\/p>\n
Public fears are growing, and so are the number of shops in
\nthe capital offering guns and an assortment of protection
\ndevices.<\/p>\n
Most traders said the merchandise included licenses.<\/p>\n
They also claimed to only sell guns which fired ammunition --
\nsuch as tear gas or specially designed bullets which would
\ntemporarily immobilize people -- which would not cause
\nfatalities.<\/p>\n
Of the more high-powered guns, air rifles have also become
\npopular among Jakartans in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
\"When I recently bought an American rifle at a sports store at
\nPasar Baru in Central Jakarta recently, I met a customer who
\nbought four rifles,\" said Bong Seng, not his real name, from the
\nKelapa Gading housing complex in North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"He told me each of his children would get one of the guns for
\nself-protection,\" Bong Seng said. He added that he knew of
\nindigenous Indonesians who were also arming themselves.<\/p>\n
House-to-house<\/p>\n
Guns are being traded illegally at several public spots in the
\ncity, including Kramat Jati market in East Jakarta, Manggarai
\nmarket in South Jakarta and Senen market in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
But most of the weapons are traded through personal
\ntransactions via telephones, facsimiles and brokers.<\/p>\n
A .38 Colt, for instance, is offered at Rp 20 million and
\na .36 FN at Rp 17 million. Prices include the official license,
\ntraders said.<\/p>\n
Non-lethal bullets, they said, sold at Rp 450,000 for seven.<\/p>\n
A .22 Colt sells for Rp 5 million, an FN-45 for Rp 8 million.<\/p>\n
Several shops also offer a stun gun in the shape of a mobile
\nphone for Rp 8 million. It provides a shock of 1,000 volts.<\/p>\n
In addition to paying in cash, buyers are also required to
\nhand over passport-size photographs and several documents,
\nincluding a letter from the police confirming the person does not
\nhave a criminal record.<\/p>\n
Police say they are zeroing in on the manufacturing and trade
\nin weapons.<\/p>\n
They recently raided a small workshop in Lampung, arresting
\ntwo men and confiscating items including a .32 and .22 revolver,
\n10 bullets and a lathe.<\/p>\n
Last week, police in Cikeusal district in Serang, West Java,
\narrested a 40-year-old man believed to have produced dozens of
\nhandmade firearms, which could be used for bullets of .33 mm
\ncaliber weapons.<\/p>\n
But the real movers and shakers in the trade have reportedly
\nremained untouched.<\/p>\n
\"But we have identified those involved in the illegal
\nbusiness,\" Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman
\nsaid Thursday.<\/p>\n
The increasing possession of arms among members of the public
\nworries sociologists Sardjono Jatiman and Paulus Wirutomo.<\/p>\n
Both agreed the authorities should move swiftly to curb the
\nphenomenon.<\/p>\n
Sardjono of University of Indonesia said gun possession was
\nclearly against the law and the authorities should step in to
\nprevent negative effects from their widespread circulation.<\/p>\n
\"People have bought guns simply because they feel insecure.
\nPeople do not obey the law anymore because they think the law can
\nno longer protect them from harm.<\/p>\n
\"Still that reason cannot be an excuse to buy illegal guns.
\nImagine if people wonder around with guns, they could shoot
\nanybody they want. This is crazy and it will only create
\nanarchy.\"<\/p>\n
The authorities need to launch an operation to register guns
\nin the hands of both civilians and military personnel.<\/p>\n
\"Prevention is better than the cure, right?<\/p>\n
Paulus warned the development of a gun culture would carry
\ndangerous ramifications.<\/p>\n
\"Buying guns, even though it is only for self-protection, in
\nturn could become a boomerang for the society. It may create
\ngreater chaos and, probably, civil war.<\/p>\n
\"Imagine this -- if people start to judge others at will,
\nshooting and killing each other and abandoning the law, what will
\nhappen?\"<\/p>\n
Paulus said the authorities should share part of the blame for
\nthe public taking their security into their own hands.<\/p>\n
\"Their failure in protecting the people made all this happen.
\nAt least they have to prove themselves to the people by not
\ngiving fake promises.\"<\/p>\n
Criminologist Adrianus Meliala concurred that people had
\ndecided to protect themselves because of lingering insecurity
\nafter the trauma of the riots.<\/p>\n
\"The security officers repeatedly said in the past that
\nJakarta was safe but look what happened then?\" Adrianus asked.<\/p>\n
Most important, Adrianus and Sardjono said, was for the
\nauthorities to provide a firm security guarantee to the people.<\/p>\n
This could be done through intensifying operations against
\ncriminals in the greater Jakarta area, Adrianus said.<\/p>\n
Sardjono added: \"If the authorities could not protect people,
\nthey (the public) will always look for loopholes and buy guns.\"
\n(bsr\/ivy\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/firearms-market-thriving-in-scared-jakarta-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}