Ecstasy at Schiphol

In connection with the Attorney General Office's endeavors to obtain the extradition of MS who is accused of smuggling Ecstasy pills at Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands, I am of the opinion that the extradition is unwarranted for the following reasons:

1. The Dutch law enforcers are better placed to develop the case as extensively as possible and in a transparent way. There is hope of detecting the producer, the distributor and the middleman in the Netherlands, also the buyer, the operator and the distributor here. There is strong doubt that Indonesian law enforcers could do such a job because justice in Indonesia can be bought and many of those dealing in prohibited goods are above the law.

Besides investigating a case, even keeping a detainee in custody is not possible. What happened with Zarima, Eddy Tansil, Ria Irawan and the Bernas journalist are sufficient proof that our law enforcers are extremely ineffective.

2. The Dutch court is more reliable in its honesty and integrity in enforcing justice. Apart from receiving an adequate income, judges are not easily tempted because the control of the press and the Lower House of Parliament is sufficiently strong to balance the government's power.

I am very worried that if MS is tried here the court will decide on a stiff sentence, only to have the Supreme Court dismiss the case because it considers MS's action to have been an "error in procedure" only, or MS will escape like Zarima and Eddy Tansil or have the case shelved like that of Ria Irawan.

3. The Indonesian law enforcers should cooperate with their Dutch counterparts in the eradication of prohibited drug abuse. In MS's case it is sufficient for our law enforcers to follow up the findings in the Netherlands.

4. I suggest that the Indonesian press monitor the handling of MS's case in the Netherlands and publish the proceedings to the Indonesian public in a transparent way.

May the future of Indonesia's younger generation be safe!

M. IKHSAN

Jakarta