I disagree with civilians using guns'
The fatal shooting of trainee waiter Yohannes Berchmans Haerudy Natong, alias Rudy, at the Fluid Club in Hilton Hotel, Central Jakarta in the wee hours of Jan. 1, once again reignited discussion of the issue of civilians possessing firearms. The Jakarta Post asked Jakartans their views about civilians possessing guns.
Maria, 24, a student at the University of Indonesia in Depok, West Java. She lives in a rented house near her campus:
I totally disagree with the current practice of allowing civilians to have a license to use a gun. Self-defense can't justify the possibility that a civilian can use a gun against other unarmed civilians.
I think in the case of Adiguna Sutowo killing Rudy arbitrarily in the absence of any threat on him is a very good example of how dangerous an armed civilian can be. That's why civilians should be banned from owning a gun for good.
The current condition reflects the police's inability to protect citizens. It shows that they fail to protect civilians miserably. If they did their job properly, citizens would feel secure and have no intention of owning a gun in the first place.
Agung, 28, works for a printing company in Kota, West Jakarta. He resides in Ciputat, Tangerang with his wife and daughter.
"What happened to Rudy only for a trivial thing could also happen to anyone, anywhere and anytime, as long as civilians here have easy access to guns. It is terrible to imagine that it could happen to me on the street. For example, what if I was in a traffic accident with a mad person who was carrying a gun?
I think most civilians that carry firearms have no regular and intensive training, including how and when to use them properly, like the military and police. I think that is the reason why similar incidents as had happened to Rudy have been rampant lately. Personally, I support the idea that civilians carrying firearms should be stopped.
Heri, 32, is a lecturer at a private university on Jl. TB Simatupang, South Jakarta. He resides with his family in Bintaro, Tangerang.
I don't agree with the idea of giving a permit to civilians to carry guns. Civilians owning firearms reminds me of the time when the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was in power. The idea was to arm civilians just like the military and police. We knew the result -- untrained men behind the guns easily pulling the trigger.
For me, it will be more effective to leave security affairs to the police or military.
Hardy, 34, is a truck driver working for a transportation company in Cakung, East Jakarta. He lives with his wife and two children in Jatinegara, also in East Jakarta:
Every day I deliver merchandise to several areas in Jakarta. I also pass through notorious areas including certain sections of outer ring roads in North Jakarta and slum areas in West and East Jakarta.
In the past two years I have become more and more insecure because when I read the newspapers of robbers that use guns and kill victims in broad daylight. I am afraid they will stop and rob my truck one of these days. I could get killed you know. That's why I think people like me should also have a gun to protect myself.
However, I disagree with the loose control of guns. Police and the government shouldn't give people guns easily only because he or she has money to buy it. Screening should be tighter. Because of this loose control, many criminals can get guns easily and use them to rob people like me.
The Jakarta Post