Plan for strict gun control gets a shot in the arm
Plan for strict gun control gets a shot in the arm
By Lewa Pardomuan
JAKARTA (JP): Leading lawyers and criminologists throw their
weight behind the proposal by authorities to tighten the use of
fire arms amidst signs of increasing abuses of their use,
including in crimes.
The lawyers said that the government must move fast to tighten
the regulations before the situation gets out of control.
Frans Hendra Winarta of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
(YLBHI) said the authorities should act before it's too late.
Frans warned that without stricter regulations on the
possession and use of fire arms, more and more people will be
pondering about owning guns, either for committing crimes or for
the purpose of self defense.
It was Jakarta Military Chief Maj. Gen. Hendropriyono himself
who last month proposed that the authorities tighten regulations
on the licensing of fire arms, currently the task of the police.
Hendro made the suggestion within a week after he nearly fell
victim to a senseless shooting when an annoyed driver fired shots
at his car on the Jagorawi toll road. Fortunately for Hendro, the
car was bullet-proof.
The shooter turned out to be a senior immigration official who
appeared to have been annoyed when Hendro's car overtook his.
The official, identified as Bambang, who was later captured at
his home in Bogor, West Java, was apparently unaware that it was
a military commander's car behind him.
Frans describes the incident as an "anarchy" and a "show of
masochism," which could happen any time to anyone in the absence
of tighter gun regulation.
He said that harsh economic conditions often force people to
commit crimes, including violent ones.
Frans said that tightening the screening of would-be users
should also include checks on mental health.
Sales
Crimes involving the use of fire arms are still few and far
between in Indonesia judging from newspaper reports. But in
March, the Jakarta Police uncovered a crime gang specializing in
gun sales. There have also been reports that some Army or police
officers had loaned their guns to others that later turned out to
have been used for crimes.
Leading human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis believes that
the regulations on gun use are already clear but what is lacking
is their enforcement.
The regulations should be strictly implemented so that people
would not misuse their private weapons.
"I can't imagine if it is not regulated," he said.
Fire arms possession and use are regulated in a 1951
legislation. By law, illegal possession of fire arms carries a
maximum death penalty.
Hendro says he believes there are a number of unauthorized
people who posses firearms and that there was a tendency among
those who legally owned firearms to use the weapons in an
irresponsible manner.
"We shall intensify inspections because people are inclined to
abuse them. They must know that firearms are dangerous. They can
be lethal if they are in the hands of people who do not
understand their real functions," said the two-star general.
Mulya said life in the metropolis can force people to live
under constant strain which should be considered before granting
permission for somebody to possess guns.
He said that ideally, people should put their trust in the
police to provide them with protection.
A professor in criminal law, Mardjono Reksodipoetro shared
Mulya's opinion that the problem is one of enforcement and of
more adequate policing.
He said the average Indonesian shuns fire arms even for self
defense in sharp contrast to the United States, where it might be
considered normal for people to possess their own guns.
Mulyana W. Kusumah, a leading criminologist with the YLBHI,
said that inspections of people who possess illegal weapons would
be a success if regulations were also fully implemented.
Mulyana said the culture of violence was growing given the
fact that people tended to react violently if annoyed.
He said that shooting could not be categorized as a form of
protection because it is an active action on the part of the
doers which leads to violence.
By Lewa Pardomuan
JAKARTA (JP): Leading lawyers and criminologists throw their
weight behind the proposal by authorities to tighten the use of
fire arms amidst signs of increasing abuses of their use,
including in crimes.
The lawyers said that the government must move fast to tighten
the regulations before the situation gets out of control.
Frans Hendra Winarta of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation
(YLBHI) said the authorities should act before it's too late.
Frans warned that without stricter regulations on the
possession and use of fire arms, more and more people will be
pondering about owning guns, either for committing crimes or for
the purpose of self defense.
It was Jakarta Military Chief Maj. Gen. Hendropriyono himself
who last month proposed that the authorities tighten regulations
on the licensing of fire arms, currently the task of the police.
Hendro made the suggestion within a week after he nearly fell
victim to a senseless shooting when an annoyed driver fired shots
at his car on the Jagorawi toll road. Fortunately for Hendro, the
car was bullet-proof.
The shooter turned out to be a senior immigration official who
appeared to have been annoyed when Hendro's car overtook his.
The official, identified as Bambang, who was later captured at
his home in Bogor, West Java, was apparently unaware that it was
a military commander's car behind him.
Frans describes the incident as an "anarchy" and a "show of
masochism," which could happen any time to anyone in the absence
of tighter gun regulation.
He said that harsh economic conditions often force people to
commit crimes, including violent ones.
Frans said that tightening the screening of would-be users
should also include checks on mental health.
Sales
Crimes involving the use of fire arms are still few and far
between in Indonesia judging from newspaper reports. But in
March, the Jakarta Police uncovered a crime gang specializing in
gun sales. There have also been reports that some Army or police
officers had loaned their guns to others that later turned out to
have been used for crimes.
Leading human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis believes that
the regulations on gun use are already clear but what is lacking
is their enforcement.
The regulations should be strictly implemented so that people
would not misuse their private weapons.
"I can't imagine if it is not regulated," he said.
Fire arms possession and use are regulated in a 1951
legislation. By law, illegal possession of fire arms carries a
maximum death penalty.
Hendro says he believes there are a number of unauthorized
people who posses firearms and that there was a tendency among
those who legally owned firearms to use the weapons in an
irresponsible manner.
"We shall intensify inspections because people are inclined to
abuse them. They must know that firearms are dangerous. They can
be lethal if they are in the hands of people who do not
understand their real functions," said the two-star general.
Mulya said life in the metropolis can force people to live
under constant strain which should be considered before granting
permission for somebody to possess guns.
He said that ideally, people should put their trust in the
police to provide them with protection.
A professor in criminal law, Mardjono Reksodipoetro shared
Mulya's opinion that the problem is one of enforcement and of
more adequate policing.
He said the average Indonesian shuns fire arms even for self
defense in sharp contrast to the United States, where it might be
considered normal for people to possess their own guns.
Mulyana W. Kusumah, a leading criminologist with the YLBHI,
said that inspections of people who possess illegal weapons would
be a success if regulations were also fully implemented.
Mulyana said the culture of violence was growing given the
fact that people tended to react violently if annoyed.
He said that shooting could not be categorized as a form of
protection because it is an active action on the part of the
doers which leads to violence.