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)