'Sure, the death penalty deters criminals'

Drug abuse among Indonesian youth has become a cause of major concern, with studies revealing that many started to use drugs in their early teens. Amid the debate on the application of the death penalty to drug dealers and traffickers, The Jakarta Post asked some residents why they support capital punishment.

Abdul Rivai, 54, is a civil servant in the Ministry of Social Affairs. He lives in Cipayung, East Jakarta, with his wife and two children:

I completely agree with the death sentence for anyone caught dealing or trafficking in drugs because what are doing really damages the nation's younger generation and their future.

And I don't think there is anything wrong with it because, as far as I know, Singapore and Thailand also hand down the same sentences for any crimes relating to drugs, even as little as two grams.

Here in Indonesia, some of the convicted defendants have been dealing and trafficking in more than one kilogram of drugs, so I think they deserve such a sentence.

Indonesia should also not bow down to protests from other countries concerning the death sentence because this is not their country. We have our own laws to deal with the ever-increasing problems of drug-related crime and addiction.

I was head of a rehabilitation center for drug addicts in Bogor for six years, so I know exactly how devastating the effects of drugs are. You can simply say that the minds, bodies and future prospects of anyone who takes drugs will be permanently ruined.

What is more dangerous is that drug addiction also destroys their minds. Many drug addicts come from wealthy families, so they think they can keep on spending their parents' money to obtain instant pleasure from drugs without ever learning that life is about hard work.

Jumadi, 30, a taxi driver, lives with his wife and son in Cijanjur, South Jakarta:

I support the death penalty for drug traffickers because many young people have fallen victim to drugs. Without tough sentences for them, I am afraid that even more people will become victim.

Only a few will be able to recover through rehabilitation programs, but many more will die of overdoses.

I believe that the death sentence could deter these criminals.

But I want to see the police and relevant agencies to play fair, and not go easy on public figures, government officials, politicians or their relatives.

-- The Jakarta Post