Up in arms?<\/p>\n
Should Indonesians be allowed to carry guns? Or should the
\ncurrent tight restrictions on gun ownership at least be loosened?
\nFor most of us the answer to these questions is simple enough.
\nNo. While many Indonesians of all ages are addicted to action
\nmovies in which not a minute goes by without a bomb exploding or
\na gun blazing, they shake their heads in shock and disbelief at
\nreports of school children in the United States shooting dead
\ntheir friends, parents or teachers.<\/p>\n
Very few teenagers believe the time will ever come when youths
\nin Indonesia will settle their squabbles with guns, much less
\nrevel in roadside shooting sprees -- the kind of senseless street
\nkillings the participants indulge in just for the fun of it --
\nthat they might have read about in newspapers and magazines. Only
\ntwo months ago, the question of free gun ownership was still a
\nlong way from becoming a real subject of public debate in this
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Yet, unlikely as it may have seemed at the beginning of May,
\nquestions such as these are of actual relevance for many people
\nin Jakarta at present. Though official police confirmation is as
\nyet still lacking, an illegal trade in guns of various makes and
\ncalibers is widely reported to have emerged in the wake of the
\nvicious riots of May 13 and May 14.<\/p>\n
In a statement to reporters on Thursday, Jakarta police chief
\nMaj. Gen Noegroho Djajoesman said the authorities have, since
\nJuly 1, seized 10 guns in citywide operations. Among those
\nconfiscated were an FN .32 caliber rifle and .22 and .32 caliber
\nColts. Police officers are being deployed in business centers,
\nbusy intersections and in areas such as nearby Cilegon, Tangerang
\nand Bekasi, where armed robberies are commonplace. Police say
\nthey have uncovered leads in places where guns are allegedly
\nbeing sold illegally.<\/p>\n
Noegroho's comments come in the wake of media reports that the
\ncrime rate in the city is rising and that guns can be easily
\nobtained on the black market, despite a strict ban on the
\nunlicensed ownership of firearms. Many wealthy Chinese-
\nIndonesians and some expatriates are reported to have obtained
\nblack market guns to defend themselves in anticipation of fresh
\nriots in which they may become targets.<\/p>\n
All of this notwithstanding, most Indonesians appear to remain
\nstrongly opposed to a loosening of gun licensing requirements out
\nof the not unreasonable fear that such guns might fall into the
\nwrong hands. In fact, though Jakarta is believed to compare
\nfavorably in terms of its crime rate, many citizens worry about
\nthe apparent increase in violent crime in the city.<\/p>\n
Still, as University of Indonesia criminologist Adrianus
\nMeliala has pointed out, people cannot be blamed for buying guns
\nunder present circumstances. Meliala argues that while the
\nsecurity authorities keep claiming that Jakarta is safe, people
\nsee otherwise. \"Criminal acts are committed not only by crooks,
\nbut by angry mobs as well.\" Meliala says. \"That is something new
\nand people are afraid of it. So the police cannot forbid them
\nfrom buying guns to defend themselves.\"<\/p>\n
In other words, what Meliala is saying is that while loosening
\ngun ownership requirements is not the option most Indonesians
\nwould favor, many people feel they have little choice but to arm
\nthemselves as long as the authorities appear unable to guarantee
\nthem the protection they are entitled to under the law.<\/p>\n
It seems safe to say that most Indonesians agree with Meliala.
\nIn the case of Jakarta, one particular gripe that has so far been
\nleft unanswered concerns the perceived inaction on the part of
\nthe city's security personnel during the riots. Rightly or
\nwrongly, the impression exists that the authorities left the
\npeople to fend for themselves during those critical moments.<\/p>\n
This and other lingering questions must be cleared up if a
\ntrue sense of security is to be restored. Owning a gun is not a
\nguarantee for safety. But, as has been said, people can hardly be
\nblamed for using whatever means they can to defend themselves in
\nthe absence of official protection.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/up-in-arms-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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