`RI should join ASEAN war on illicit drugs'<\/p>\n
Yuni Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia, a haven for drug abusers and traffickers, has called
\nfor joint efforts among member countries of the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to combat illicit drugs.<\/p>\n
Surya Chandra Surapaty, chairman of the Indonesian delegation
\nto the ASEAN Inter-Parliament Organization (AIPO) meeting here,
\nsaid drug abuse threatened mostly the younger generation and the
\nsituation would worsen unless concrete measures were taken
\nimmediately.<\/p>\n
\"We need input from the meeting participants and need you to
\nshare your experiences in fighting illicit drugs, heroin, cocaine
\nand the syndicates trafficking in them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The annual meeting was officially opened by House of
\nRepresentatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who has been sentenced to
\nthree years in jail for his involvement in a Rp 40 billion scam.<\/p>\n
Surya admitted that the number of drug abuse cases in
\nIndonesia had notably increased over the last four years.<\/p>\n
According to data from the National Narcotics Agency, drug
\nabuse cases had steadily increased from 958 cases in 1998 to
\n1,883 cases in 1999, 3,478 cases in 2000 and 3,617 cases in 2001.
\nIndonesian authorities seized 90 kilograms of heroin and cocaine
\nin 1998, 266 kg of heroin and millions of pills in 1999. Since
\n1998, the authorities have arrested more than 70,000 alleged drug
\nabusers and traffickers. Over 12,000 of them were foreigners.<\/p>\n
Surya regretted the fact that the Indonesian government had
\nyet to impose harsh penalties against drug syndicates and
\ntraffickers and take concrete action to enhance bilateral and
\nmultilateral cooperation with foreign countries in combating drug
\nnetworks.<\/p>\n
He said that the Indonesian delegates would propose, among
\nother things, introducing harsher penalties for drug dealers and
\nusers.<\/p>\n
\"If a convicted drug dealer in Singapore, for example, is
\nsentenced to death, then the same sentence should be handed down
\nto other convicted drug dealers in the region,\" Surya Chandra
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will also propose an increase in bilateral, regional
\nand international cooperation and networking to deal with drug
\nabuse and illicit trafficking.<\/p>\n
In his presentation on Thursday, Sanusi Tambunan of the
\nIndonesian delegation also said that Indonesia had significantly
\nshifted from a mere transit place of international illicit drug
\ntrafficking to a manufacturing site and exporting country.<\/p>\n
\"It was indeed shocking when the National Police recently
\nraided a clandestine drug manufacturer and ecstasy pill maker who
\nhad the capacity to produce 150,000 ecstasy pills per day, in
\nCipondoh, Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, which is
\nclassified as the biggest producer in the world,\" Sanusi said.<\/p>\n
Reading out a 10-page paper, Sanusi also said that 20 drug
\ntraffickers had been arrested and sentenced to death in
\nIndonesia. Seven of them are Indonesian. Smaller-time
\nmanufacturers in the form of home industries had also been
\nidentified in Medan, Pekanbaru and Denpasar, he said.<\/p>\n
The Thai delegation said that Thailand had declared a total
\nnationwide war against drugs. The war involves all elements of
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
Pornpich Patanakulert, deputy chairwoman of the Thai House of
\nRepresentatives' Committee for Public Health, said her country
\nhad taken several concrete steps to gradually eradicate illicit
\ndrugs, the presence of which had reached an alarming level.<\/p>\n
\"Besides holding bilateral and multilateral cooperation with
\nits border countries and the world society to cut the supply of
\nillicit drugs and other hazardous substances, all components of
\n(Thai) society have been participating in the nationwide war
\nagainst drug syndicates and traffickers, treatment of drug
\npatients and drug prevention,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-should-join-asean-war-on-illicit-drugs-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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