Light punishment

Light punishment

From Jayakarta

The news in Jayakarta (Nov. 26, 1996) under the heading Smuggler of 60,778 Ecstasy pills gets 10 months really stunned me.

How could I feel otherwise? Someone who smuggled a monstrous amount of illegal drugs into the country gets away with a jail term of less than a year? These drugs carry an enormous value in terms of money, not to mention the harmful, devastating effect that could wreak havoc upon the younger generation.

What is going to happen to Zarina, who was in possession of 29,677 Ecstasy pills? We can just imagine that her punishment is going to be much lighter, especially since it is rumored that this sexy girl is being given special treatment in prison. We do not understand why.

At any rate, light jail terms meted out to drug pushers and smugglers will only affect us negatively. Among other things, it could encourage individuals to take drugs or become drug traffickers. It could also encourage Ecstasy smuggling. The relatively light penalty compared with the market value of the drugs could cause some people to think:

`Never mind the one-year jail term, as long as I am making millions of rupiah. It is much better than being unemployed and having nothing.'

Before the Ecstasy business becomes a growing menace, a law should be drafted based on the damaging effects it may produce in the future.

MELINAWATI

Bogor, West Java