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.