President's tough stance on drug dealers hailed

President's tough stance on drug dealers hailed

Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Antidrug activists have hailed President Megawati
Soekarnoputri's tough stance against drug dealers, saying it was
a significant step on the long road to effectively combating drug
trafficking.

However, they warned that the effort would be futile unless
the government formulated a clear national strategy for dealing
with the issue.

A lawyer and antidrug activist, Henry Yosodiningrat, took the
view that assigning the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to
take charge of coordinating the antidrug campaign without being
backed up by clear strategies would not be of much use.

Drug trafficking was a complex issue and had systematic,
organized, conceptual, international networks with high-skill
perpetrators, Henry told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"Does the BIN have a concept for dealing with the issue? We
need to sit together and formulate a comprehensive strategy for
interdicting the supply, reducing the demand and providing
rehabilitation programs for both the victims and dealers," Henry,
who is also the chairman of the antidrug foundation Granat, said.

He added that the most important things were political will
from the government and public support.

Megawati declared war on Monday against drug trafficking by
calling for capital punishment for major offenders.

She also slammed the National Narcotics Coordinating Agency's
(BKKN) sluggish performance in dealing with the problem, and the
tasking of the BIN with coordinating the antidrug campaign.

Joyce Djaelani Gordon, program co-director of the Harapan
Permata Hati Kita foundation, voiced a similar opinion. She said
that President Megawati's bold move marked the beginning of a
long journey toward combating drug trafficking.

Similar to Henry, Joyce said that in order to deal with the
problem, the government had to have a clear strategy.

Sending people to jail is useless, Joyce said. The government
should determine how to reduce the drug trafficking business,
uphold the law and provide rehabilitation for dealers and
victims.

"This can be done if there is good coordination and
communication among government agencies. Also, the government
should build up cooperation with other countries as this is also
an international problem," Joyce said.

Joyce, whose foundation provides rehabilitation programs for
drug addicts, said that involving intelligence agencies might
help the campaign. However, she doubted that they would be able
to match the drug traffickers.

Commenting on the current drugs legislation, Henry said that
both Law No. 5/1997 on psychotropic substances and Law No.
22/1997 on narcotics still needed improving. But, he considered
they were adequate for the time being.

Law No. 22/1997 provides for capital punishment but only if
one is proved to have conspired in or organized the trade or
production of drugs.

Henry said that a team revising the two laws had proposed the
inclusion of a minimum sentence, which he considered as being
some progress. However, he did not disclose the proposed minimum
penalty.

Meanwhile, Joyce said that no matter how good the law was,
even if the death penalty was imposed such as in Singapore or
Malaysia, it could still be thwarted by corruption.

"If justice can still be bought, then it is of no use. You put
people in jail but the business still goes on," Joyce remarked.

All levels of society -- the government, law enforcers, and
even the public -- had to be clean. Only then could we tackle
drug trafficking, Joyce noted.