Public canings to start in Aceh for gamblers

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Muhammad Ali, a convicted gambler facing a public caning, gave a weary look when asked about his punishment. The man in his 40s confessed that he had left his fate to God.

"If they insist on punishing me in this way, then they can go ahead. But they have should have punished the (big-time) graft convicts first," Ali said.

Ali, a construction worker, was arrested on April 30 this year when police found him and his six of his friends involved in illegal gambling in Pulo Kitca, Bireuen.

After being jailed for 15 days, he was freed by the police, but now he has to answer to the province's Islamic court, which will punish him under a new bylaw inspired by sharia law.

Shortly after his release, Ali was summoned by the Bireuen Sharia Office, which passed his sentence -- 10 strokes of the rattan cane to be delivered in public.

Ali, and 25 other gamblers, are scheduled to be caned on Friday in an open field in Bireuen regency, some 200 kilometers east of Banda Aceh. The Bireuen regental government has even prepared a stage where the caning takes place, presumably so interested members of the public can get a better view.

The caning sentence, the first such corporal punishment verdict in Aceh's modern history, is a product of the autonomy law, which gives the traditional and conservative province the right to enact its own bylaws. Its announcement caused controversy on Wednesday when it was made public.

While some have opposed the caning, others questioned why the painful and humiliating punishment did not apply to the big-time theives, the politicians and public officials convicted of stealing billions of rupiah in public money.

"Why is the caning sentence only targeting the gamblers, drinkers and those who have committed adultery? It should apply also to the graft convicts," said Maisarah, 45, a resident of Jambo Tape, Banda Aceh.

But if the provincial leaders have their way, those found guilty of graft offences could face a much tougher punishment than caning.

In Aceh, there are currently only three bylaws passed that relate to sharia law -- those that prohibit gambling, adultery, and the consumption of alcohol drinks. Corruption, meanwhile, is being included in a new law encompassing theft.

"The bylaw on theft, including corruption offences, is being deliberated by the Sharia Office," said Raihan Iskandar, the deputy speaker of the Aceh provincial council.

Once the office completes its work, the new law will be proposed to the Aceh provincial council for approval.

According to Raihan, the office was proposing convicted theives would have their hands amputated, a tradition still practiced in Saudi Arabia.

This tough punishment would help establish order in the province and be an effective deterrent, he said.