Hundreds rally against drugs
Hundreds rally against drugs
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Some 200 people participated in an antidrug rally to observe
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking
at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on
Sunday.
The protesters, who held hands to make a human chain around
the fountain, also distributed antidrug brochures to motorists
and passers-by.
Among those taking part in the protest were a number of
celebrities, including model Tracy Trinita, presenters Nirina
Zubir, Farhan, and Indi Barens, and lawyer Ruhut Sitompul. Some
street children also took part in the rally.
Rally organizers said similar protests were also held in 16
other locations across the capital, including Senayan, Cililitan,
Pancoran, Kuningan, Grogol, Harmoni, Gunung Sahari, Jl. Pemuda,
Lebak Bulus, Bintaro and Cibubur.
The rallies were jointly organized by the Cinta Anak Bangsa
Foundation (YCAB), Jakarta Narcotics Agency (BNP) and the
International Labor Organization (ILO).
YCAB advisor Comr. Gen. (ret) Togar Sianipar called for public
participation in combating drug abuse and trafficking in the
country.
"All sides must be involved in this. Otherwise, whatever
efforts we make will not be effective in preventing the
devastation caused by drug abuse and trafficking," the former
director of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) said.
Patrick Quinn of the ILO warned that many people, including
young children, had become ensnared in drug abuse and drug
trafficking.
Citing the ILO's 2003 survey on street children in East
Jakarta, Quinn said that 90 out of 92 street children who were
addicted to drugs had also become drug pushers.
Meanwhile, YCAB activist Veronica Colondam cited a recent
survey by the University of Indonesia's School of Public Health,
which found that there were 12 million drug users in the country,
most of whom had started taking drugs before they were 20 due to
peer pressure.
Motorists were also invited to express their support for the
war on drugs by driving with their headlights on.