Mid-May mayhem boost arms business<\/p>\n
By Christiani SA Tumelap<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The capital is officially a million miles from
\nthe Wild West of cowboy films because carrying guns or even sharp
\nweapons on the streets will see you end up in jail.<\/p>\n
But nightmares of the mid-May mayhem that pierced the hearts
\nof many people have left the public with one certain message: arm
\nyourself rather than be forced to suffer in the anarchy of
\nanother riot.<\/p>\n
Many Jakartans, especially middle- and upper-class people, are
\nnow increasingly equipping themselves with weapons of self-
\ndefense.<\/p>\n
The arms vary. Semiautomatic M-16 assault rifles, revolvers,
\nmachetes, tear gas launchers, sleeping-gas spray guns and even
\nantirape corsets have all hit the market in the last 10 weeks.<\/p>\n
A 31-year-old financial analyst of Chinese origin said he now
\nalways carried a palm-sized tear-gas spray gun which he bought in
\nAmerica two years ago.<\/p>\n
\"Who would have known that this stuff would mean a lot to me
\nnow. I bought it because it looked funny.<\/p>\n
\"It passed the customs check at the airport because the
\nofficers had no idea what it was. It looks more like an asthma
\ninhaler,\" the Chinese-Indonesian, who asked for anonymity, told
\nThe Jakarta Post last week.<\/p>\n
Protection schemes differ from family to family, depending
\nupon people's economic status and personal background.<\/p>\n
Hasan, a 55-year-old father of two sons and a daughter who
\nlives in Joglo, West Jakarta, said he armed each member of his
\nfamily with a machete to be kept both near their beds and in
\ntheir cars to protect themselves from attackers.<\/p>\n
\"I keep my faith and believe that nothing bad will ever happen
\nagain, but taking precautions is always the best option,\" said
\nHasan.<\/p>\n
He also keeps a gun in his house but refuses to give any
\ndetails about it.<\/p>\n
Underwear<\/p>\n
Among the self-defense equipment, the antirape corset --
\nfortified with a combination lock -- is perhaps the most unique.<\/p>\n
According to shop owner, Simon Sanjaya, who claims to have
\ninvented the item, thousands of women, mostly Chinese-Indonesians
\nfrom Jakarta and ranging from as young as nine to 60 years old,
\nhave bought the chastity belt costing Rp 100,000 (US$7.15), from
\nhis store in the West Java capital of Bandung.<\/p>\n
One of the his assistants, Santi, told the Post last weekend
\nthat more than 1,000 corsets had been sold in each of the two
\nmonths since the May riots.<\/p>\n
The corset is made of 0.6-millimeter stainless steel tailored
\nwith artificial leather to fit the waist and groin.<\/p>\n
\"We always encourage interested buyers to come here in person
\nbecause the corset is made to fit the body. It is supposed to be
\nworn without any underwear at all.<\/p>\n
\"However, most women prefer to wear it inside their
\nunderwear,\" Santi said.<\/p>\n
\"Please, don't forget the combination numbers or else you'll
\nhave to cut it with pliers and get a new one,\" she reminded.<\/p>\n
Besides the antirape device, the shop in Rajawali Plaza also
\noffers sleeping-gas canisters and sharp-weapon proof vests and
\njackets.<\/p>\n
Harmful<\/p>\n
According to Santi, the sleeping-gas canister -- shaped like a
\nportable fire extinguisher -- is not yet selling well.<\/p>\n
Priced at Rp 7 million, the tube, weighing approximately 30
\nkilograms, is designed to be connected to pipes installed on the
\noutside wall of a house or building.<\/p>\n
With a pressure of 70 atmospheres, the gas causes anyone who
\nstands in the two-meter spray-range to fall asleep for about
\neight hours in just 20 seconds after inhaling the colorless and
\nodorless fumes.<\/p>\n
\"The gas is actually similar to that used for medical
\noperations by anesthetists,\" she said.<\/p>\n
But, Santi admitted, many visitors worried they might not be
\nable to use it properly and, instead, could become an unwitting
\ntarget of their own security system.<\/p>\n
Similar to the antirape corsets, the stabproof vests and
\njackets costing between Rp 200,000 and Rp 650,000 each are also
\nproving popular.<\/p>\n
Designed in various sizes and materials, the vests and jackets
\ninclude a 0.5-millimeter metal plate in both the front and back
\nand sleeves (for the jacket).<\/p>\n
Another device selling well in Jakarta is a gas ejector stick.<\/p>\n
Offered at Rp 1 million each, the gas which shoots out from
\nthe 48-centimeter long, 4.7-kg stick, can paralyze a large group
\nof targets for between 10 and 20 minutes as it affects the
\nrespiration system and eyes.<\/p>\n
A salesman of a company which distributes the \"gun\" from an
\noffice on Jl. Gajah Mada in West Jakarta said the weapon is sold
\ncomplete with a legal license issued by the police.<\/p>\n
\"You'll get the item only after we get the license. We have a
\ncontact to arrange the document,\" he said. (cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mid-may-mayhem-boost-arms-business-1447893297",
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