'Key to stopping mobs is enforcing law firmly'<\/p>\n
The Jakarta administration and the police have made strong
\nstatements with regard to militants who vandalized entertainment
\ncenters and nightspots over the past two weeks, but neither have
\ntaken any legal action against the perpetrators. The Jakarta Post
\nspoke to some residents about their views on the issue.<\/p>\n
Hadi Suriyanto, 27, works at a private bank on Jl. Sudirman,
\nCentral Jakarta. He lives with his wife and son in Simprug, South
\nJakarta:<\/p>\n
Whoever is right or wrong, the police should not hesitate in
\ntaking stern measures on the spot.<\/p>\n
The attackers should be arrested immediately, while owners and
\nemployees of nightspots should be brought in for questioning.<\/p>\n
From what I saw on television and read in the papers,
\npolicemen were at the scene, but they just stood around \"to
\nsecure the area\" without doing anything.<\/p>\n
Maybe they did this to keep the mob from getting any angrier,
\nbut it might also encourage other groups to do the same thing,
\nand owners and employees of the nightspots might act on their own
\n-- I've been hearing rumors about this.<\/p>\n
If this comes to pass, then we might see everyone resorting to
\nvigilantism and open fighting on the streets.<\/p>\n
By the way, the group's reasoning that they carried out the
\nattack because it was the holy month of Ramadhan is totally
\nunacceptable and doesn't make any sense to me.<\/p>\n
Sigit Kurniawan, 25, is a freelance writer who lives in Kebon
\nJeruk, West Jakarta:<\/p>\n
I think the recent attacks against nightspots and
\nentertainment centers are simply foolish acts carried out by
\nfoolish people, because the foolish policemen do not do their
\njobs to prevent such groups from taking the law into their own
\nhands.<\/p>\n
In my opinion, the attack was not entirely a matter of
\nreligious concern about the operations of entertainment centers,
\nclaiming that they interfered with the sacredness of Ramadhan. It
\nhas been known from past experiences that some of those involved
\nin the attack were only looking to get some money from nightspot
\nmanagements for their own holiday celebrations.<\/p>\n
I think the key to stopping the attack from recurring is to
\nenforce the law firmly.<\/p>\n
--The Jakarta Post<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/key-to-stopping-mobs-is-enforcing-law-firmly-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }