Muslim groups up pressure to close clubs for Ramadhan

Sjofiardi Bachyul and Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Padang/Palu

Thousands of Muslim students and activists held protest demonstrations in various cities nationwide on Wednesday in a bid to pressure the government and businesspeople to close all nightspots and gambling dens during Ramadhan.

The protesters said the closure must be done out of respect for Muslims, who are required to fast during the daylight hours for a month beginning on Friday.

The protest in the West Sumatra capital of Padang nearly turned into brawl when a group of some 150 Muslim protesters faced off with another group of people who support an alleged local gambling den baron, Rudy Iskandar, during the protest on Wednesday.

A similar protest was also held in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, where dozens of Muslims rallied in front of the office of the Central Sulawesi provincial council.

Calling themselves the Ramadhan Care Movement, the activists demanded the Central Sulawesi governor to close down all nightspots and gambling houses during Ramadhan.

In Palembang, South Sumatra, dozens of students again hit the streets on Wednesday, pressing their demand for the government to crack down hard on entertainment center operators, who planned to stay open during Ramadhan.

According to a central government decree in 1974, gambling dens are prohibited in the country, but in reality, a very large number of gambling dens exist in almost all cities in Indonesia, reportedly because they are backed by powerful security authorities. Brothels and prostitution rings also exist in abundance and allegedly receive similar backing.