Community winning war on drugs

Community winning war on drugs

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The fact that an estimated 3.9 percent of the country's
population of 220 million people, or about 8.58 million people,
either use illegal drugs and/or sell them, has raised concern
among the mothers of Community Unit 9 in Kebayoran Lama Utara
subdistrict, South Jakarta.

These 30 mothers, concerned that drugs could someday effect
their children, raided a drug party someone had organized in a
house in their neighborhood last February.

One of the mothers called the Kebayoran Lama Police and
officers eventually joined the mothers in the raid.

Forty-eight people were taken in for questioning, but 13 were
later released due to a lack of evidence.

The women's actions ignited an intense war against drugs in
the subdistrict. Subdistrict chief Ishak Firdaus has established
"antidrug forces" in each neighborhood unit.

The movement has been recognized by the city administration,
with Kebayoran Lama subdistrict being honored in 2004 as the best
subdistrict in the capital, beating out 266 other subdistricts.

"The (drug raid) incident opened the eyes of many of us about
the overwhelming presence of drugs even in our own neighborhood,"
Sugiyanto, the subdistrict secretary, told The Jakarta Post
recently.

Ishak has also tried hard to help the multiethnic residents of
the area live together in harmony. In some parts of Jakarta,
conflicts between different ethnic groups often lead to brawls.

Sugiyanto said that in the case of Kebayoran Lama Utara,
informal leaders from different ethnic groups and subdistrict
officials had established a forum.

"The forum is an effective instrument for preventing conflicts
between ethnic groups, because each group leader is a respected
person and coordinates well with subdistrict officials to
overcome any problems," he said.

Subdistrict officials also have successfully managed a poverty
elimination program sponsored by the World Bank, through a
revolving fund scheme for low-income residents who want to
establish small businesses.

The 178.22 hectare subdistrict is home to about 41,000
residents. Its borders are Jl. Kramat in the north, Kali Grogol
in the east, Jl. Bintaro Raya and Jl. Bungur Raya in the south,
and Kali Pesanggrahan in the west.