Indonesia to ratify UN convention on psychotropic drugs

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is close to ratifying the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, as part of its efforts to seal legal loopholes that previously enabled drug abusers and traffickers to escape punishment.

Factions in the House of Representatives approved the document in a plenary session yesterday, declaring that it will help improve cooperation among agencies in the national antidrug campaign.

Didiet Haryadi Priyohutomo of the ruling Golkar said the ratification will help improve Indonesia's international image.

"Soon, no suspected abusers or traffickers of psychotropic substances will be able to flee punishment because of a poor legal net," he said.

The bill for the ratification of the convention is already known here as the "bill of Ecstasy" after the name of a notorious rave stimulant growing in popularity here. Cases of abuse and trafficking of the drug have increasingly made headlines.

Among the most recent cases was the arrest of a Garuda Indonesia pilot in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam for attempting to smuggle 8,000 Ecstasy pills. Yesterday, custom and excise officials at the Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar discovered over 29,000 Ecstasy pills inside three pieces of baggage left unclaimed for the past three months.

Critics have frequently said that many drug abusers and traffickers arrested by the police have escaped punishment because Indonesia did not have laws which dealt with abuse and trafficking of psychotropic substances such as Ecstasy.

Yesterday, the House passed the convention after 168 hours of deliberation held since Minister of Health Sujudi submitted the bill to the House on Sept. 5.

"This shows that the House and the government agree to pay serious attention to problems growing from the abuse of psychotropic substances," Sujudi told the plenary session chaired by Deputy House Speaker Soetedjo yesterday.

President Soeharto has yet to give the final ratification. Sujudi promised the President would do so soon.

By December 1995, 140 countries had ratified the convention.

Ircham Abdurrochim from the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) faction said rapid advancement in transportation facilities and technology has rendered the government powerless to deal with drug abuse on its own.

"The ratification of this convention will ensure cooperation among agencies in the fight against substance abuse," he said.

The convention prohibits use of any psychotropic substances except for scientific and very limited medical purposes, by duly authorized persons, and in medical and scientific establishments which are directly under the control of their governments or specifically approved by them.

The 33 articles of the convention cover subjects such as control of preparations, licenses, special administrations, prescriptions, warning on packages and advertising, records, provisions relating to international trade, prohibition of and restrictions on export and import, and measures of inspection.

The document stipulates that all countries adopting the convention should take, based on their legal systems and domestic laws, strict measures against abuse of substances and against their illicit trafficking.

In addition to the convention, the government also presented a bill on psychotropic substances to the House on Sept. 30. The House will deliberate the document in November and is expected to pass it next January.

The 67-article bill allows a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of up to Rp 500 million (US$ 212,765) to be passed on anyone found guilty of trafficking psychotropic substances. (ste)