Stricter laws on drugs required: Experts

Stricter laws on drugs required: Experts

JAKARTA (JP): Government, police and other law enforcement
agencies should take strict concrete measures to reduce rising
drug trafficking in the capital city, experts said over the
weekend.

Adrianus Meliala, a noted criminologist from the University of
Indonesia, said putting up banners all over the capital as part
of city residents' anti-drug campaign was not sufficient to fight
the social ill.

Meliala suggested city residents and government officials take
more concrete measures to fight drug abuse.

"The residents' good will alone is not enough unless it is
backed up by the government's political will. They should start
to heavily punish drug dealers and rehabilitate drug users
instead of using words on banners," Meliala told The Jakarta
Post.

Since the city administration aired its campaign against drugs
last July, hundreds of banners have been put up, initially in
Kampung Bali subdistrict, Tanah Abang and Central Jakarta, before
spreading out to other areas of the city.

Several movements to support the city's campaign have also
been established, including the Society's Antidrug Movement
(GERAM) and the People's Movement against Drug Abuse (GRANAT).

The movements have demanded newly appointed lawmakers in the
House of Representatives and the People's General Assembly to
seriously review laws on drug trafficking, which are lenient on
convicted traffickers.

Meliala said although residents had actively staged a war
against drugs, it is still possible that there were distortions
in judiciary procedures, which likely lightened the sentences
imposed on drug traffickers.

Meliala, commenting on Governor Sutiyoso's proposal to impose
a death sentence on drug dealers, said there was nothing new in
the proposal as it was already stipulated in Indonesia's laws.
According to the 1997 Law on Narcotics, capital punishment can be
imposed on convicted drug dealers.

"However, until now, no drug traffickers have been sentenced
to death," Meliala remarked.

He said Malaysia and Singapore were successful in battling
drugs through imposing capital punishment on drug traffickers.
Several executions held by the two countries acted as "shock
therapy" to scare criminals and were also useful in cutting
government spending on rehabilitating drug users.

"Indonesia doesn't have a similar burden like Malaysia and
Singapore, so it would be more effective if the government and
police actively warn society about the dangers arising from drug
abuse," he said, adding that public participation in combating
drugs should be enhanced.

Noted psychologist Dadang Hawari told the Post that the
increase of a public movement against drugs indicated the
ineffectiveness of the government and law enforcement officials.

Dadang, however, acknowledged that officials often came to a
dead end in investigations, due to a lack of evidence and a
weakness in Article No. 78 of the Law on Narcotics, which allows
criminals leeway in possessing a contraband.

He said the government should revise the law and equip it with
a governmental regulation as its operational guideline to give
more power in netting suspects.

"We have to handle this matter seriously and we have to do it
fast. Drugs cases should also involve the Ministry of Health, not
only the police department. There should be an interministerial
coordination," Dadang added. (01)