Sultan shows royal concern in antidrug campaign<\/p>\n
By R. Agus Bakti<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): \"Excuse me, may I put an antinarcotics
\nsticker on your car? Where would be the best spot for it?\"<\/p>\n
The speaker was no ordinary antidrug campaigner. Sultan
\nHamengkubuwono X, the hereditary ruler of Yogyakarta and also its
\ngovernor, took part in an event held to mark a proclamation by
\nthe group Antidrugs Yogyakarta (YAM) two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
With the driver's approval, a sticker reading \"Prestige, Yes,
\nNarcotics, No\" was placed on the front windshield of the BMW. It
\nwas the first car to receive the sticker in the campaign along
\nJl. Malioboro.<\/p>\n
The sultan's involvement showed his concern for the future of
\nthe younger generation, particularly with the spread of drugs.
\nThey have already made their way into schools, and stories about
\nthe arrest of dealers and users fill the media almost daily.<\/p>\n
In a speech before the provincial legislature, the sultan said
\npeople should realize that the prevalence of drugs would soar
\nwhen a country was in crisis.<\/p>\n
\"Thus if we proclaim a war against drugs, it's not just a
\ndiversion. It's not just because we recently marked World
\nAntidrugs Day.\"<\/p>\n
He said people were so wrapped up in the problems of the
\ncountry that they overlooked the fate of the younger generation.<\/p>\n
Scientific advances over time are inevitably leading to an
\nincreasing array of narcotics. The use of illegal substances not
\nonly destroys the health of users, but also causes more dangerous
\nsocial ramifications.<\/p>\n
Experts warn that in the fight against drugs, if we do not
\nhave a collective recognition of the dangers of drug use and are
\nlax in handling offenders, it is not unthinkable that the country
\nwill have a lost generation of young people.<\/p>\n
YAM chief H. GBPH Yudhaningrat said there were 61 community
\ngroups in Yogyakarta which were concerned about the dangers of
\nillicit drugs.<\/p>\n
\"What makes me proudest is the groups are handled by young
\npeople who care about prevention and also the rehabilitation of
\ndrug users.\"<\/p>\n
He said several drug cases in Yogyakarta indicated there was
\nalready physical and mental harm to the younger generation.<\/p>\n
The sultan has issued a gubernatorial instruction and a decree
\nto support the antidrug campaign. Gubernatorial Instruction No.
\n1\/2000 concerns gambling, alcoholic beverages and narcotics.
\nGubernatorial Decree No. 19\/2000 involves the establishment of an
\nillegal substances coordinating board for Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
They are intended as both preventive and curative approaches,
\nand to inform the public of the great danger of addictive
\nsubstances.<\/p>\n
The sultan said it was not a problem of the substance of laws
\non drugs, but the consistency of their implementation.<\/p>\n
\"We are weak in law enforcement. We are fond of making
\ndecrees, we even specialize in doing it, but a lot of the
\nregulations made by the House of Representatives are only paper
\ntigers.\"<\/p>\n
He said he had great respect for the non-governmental
\norganizations and religious groups which were proceeding with
\ntheir vision and mission to safeguard the future of the young. He
\nsaid their concrete efforts were equal to movements for democracy
\nand the upholding of human rights.<\/p>\n
\"But most of them deal with victims, whereas it is more
\nimportant for prevention before drugs swallow their victims,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He added that the world of drugs, synonymous with violence and
\nmoney, was also used for political means, especially outside of
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Faustinus Mudjiyono of YAM said it was not only important to
\nstamp out drugs, but the use of a respected figure like the
\nsultan could be availed of as an example in antidrug campaigns.<\/p>\n
\"Yogyakarta's drive led by Sri Sultan could be followed in
\nother areas. Figures who are looked up to by the people should be
\ninvolved, such as the clergy, ulemas. The dangers of drugs have
\nbeen proven,\" said the civil servant from Kulonporgo, Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The sultan appealed to the people to have the courage to live
\ntheir lives by the words of the sticker -- prestige, yes, drugs,
\nno. He reminded them that Yogyakarta was famed as a city of
\ntourism, culture and study, an image which should not be
\ndestroyed by the drug menace.<\/p>",
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