Execute death penalty

Execute death penalty

From Media Indonesia

In the past five years, many Indonesians have died for nothing because of their drug addiction. Sadly, most of them were young people, who may have had the potential to become this country's leaders.

As drug trafficking can now be found in nearly all major cities across the country, it has become a serious threat to all Indonesians, particularly the younger generation.

Unfortunately, Indonesians are yet fully united in the fight against drug trafficking. Besides, law enforcement apparatuses have yet to go all out in eradicating drug abuse.

Further, the judicial courts have yet to prioritize cases related to drug dealing, as quite a few drug dealers have been given only light sentences. In Tangerang, however, the district court has handed down the death penalty for several drug dealers.

According to the media, the Tangerang District Court has given the death sentence to 20 drug syndicate members. Unfortunately, some of them, in their appeal to a higher court, have had their sentences converted to a life sentence or to 15 years in prison. While six death sentences have been sustained, as the president rejected the convicts' request for pardon, it is strange that they have yet to be executed.

We all should underline the statement of Commr. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar, head of the National Narcotics Agency, that President Megawati, in her address at the 2000 World Anti-Narcotics Day, supported the death sentence for convicted drug dealers.

In view of this support from the president, judges and prosecutors must ensure that capital punishment will be immediately executed, as otherwise, drug dealing will continue unabated and many more people will die in vain.

ADI PRASETYONO, Jakarta