Joint efforts needed to shut down gambling dens
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police cannot fight widespread gambling alone in the capital, an expert says, while adding that state prosecutors and judges as well as other government officials should cooperate to stop it.
Criminologist at the University of Indonesia Adrianus Meliala stressed on Wednesday that the government had banned all forms of gambling in the country and that law enforcers must do their job to enforce those laws.
"Police officers should close down gambling dens and arrest gamblers, state prosecutors should charge them under the appropriate law and judges should convict them without considering whether or not he or she is a powerful or rich person," he told The Jakarta Post.
Some law enforcers and high-ranking officials reportedly protect the gambling dens for personal financial gain, but rarely, if ever, have any been prosecuted.
Adrian said that he often heard stories about some gambling dens being closed down while others were left untouched because the owners had certain powerful people in their pocket.
He added that the police could only handle one part of the process and it was not fair to blame them for the entire gambling mess in the city.
Adrian, who is also a personal advisor to Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, alleged that there were legislative members and ministers, who publicly attack gambling, but privately instruct police officers to lay off of suspected gamblers or casino owners.
"They need to stop being such hypocrites, if we want to see the capital cleansed of all gambling. Inconsistency sends to gamblers the message that the government is not serious in fighting the crime," said Adrian. He refused, however, to reveal the names of the "hypocritical" legislative members or ministers.
Gambling, which takes many forms in the capital and continues to thrive despite a ban, is allegedly backed by some well-known figures and certain police officers.
According to Article 303 of the Criminal Code and Article 2 of Law No. 7/1974, gambling operators and gamblers could face up to 10 years imprisonment and a Rp 25,000 fine if found guilty.
Former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin had recently renewed his call to legalize gambling in special regulated zones.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) edict commission head Muarif Amin said that the public could also help police in controlling the problem.
"Organized groups can take part in efforts to slash the number of gambling dens. For example, they can submit to police data of gambling locations in the capital," he told the Post.
Muarif warned, however, that continued failure by the police to act on such reports could give rise to massive social unrest.
"Some of these organized groups could try to take the law into their own hands if the police don't do their job and close down gambling dens. It invites serious conflict. The gambling houses have their own groups of security enforcers and they will fight back because they will question the authority of the vigilante groups that try to take action against gambling dens. Mass riots and clashes will be unavoidable," he predicted.
Several organized groups or paramilitary groups, including the Native Jakarta Brotherhood Forum (FBR), the Banten Big Family Development Committee (BPPKB) and the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), have often conducted raids on bars, restaurants, pool halls and discos across the city.
Violent, often deadly, clashes between different gangs, often a struggle for influence or territory, have become commonplace since the fall of Suharto seven years ago this month.
Saman Subekti of the National Mandate Party's youth wing said that he and his group had submitted to police data on gambling dens in the capital, including one in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta and a casino inside a hotel on Gunung Sahari in Central Jakarta.
"We will wait for one week (until Monday May 16). If we do not see any action from the police, then we will take action ourselves. We have legal justification do so," he told the Post on Monday.