Indonesia May Turn on a Bootleg Alcohol Tap by Banning the Legal One

The House of Representatives is usually deliberating an alcohol prohibition bill. yet concerns have been raised, as well as also also many believe the move might be counterproductive.

A long-proposed prohibition bill on alcohol has returned to the House of Representatives within the wake of a brutal gang rape as well as also also murder of the 14-year-old schoolgirl in Bengkulu. The fact in which the rapists consumed palm wine has galvanized anti-alcohol activists within the archipelago to push the bill forward on the government’s agenda. The bill is usually controversial at best, as well as also also many question whether prohibition might be the right way forward. Advocates say the country’s cultural problem with sexual violence can be more aptly linked to weak education about what rape definitely is usually, combined with the country’s evidently lenient legal consequences.

Additionally, when entertaining the idea of what alcohol prohibition might bring to the nation, a handful of politicians believe, “when one door closes, another one opens.”

The liquor prohibition bill in question was initially proposed last year by two political parties – the United Development Party as well as also also the Prosperous Justice Party – to protect people coming from the negative health effects of liquor. Fahira Idris, chairwoman of the National Anti-Liquor Movement (Gerakan Nasional Anti Miras) as well as also also a member of the House of Regional Representatives, says the repeated involvement of alcohol in criminal cases committed by minors is usually a sure sign in which Indonesia’s youth is usually in danger. She tells Indonesia Expat:

“Almost every day, we hear reports of criminal acts as a result of alcohol, including murder, rape, robbery, as well as also also riots. Many of our children are losing their futures as a result of alcohol. We need a constitution-level regulation in which strictly prohibits liquor throughout Indonesia. [The volume of] alcohol-related data, facts, as well as also also tragic events show us in which alcohol is usually undeniably a source of disaster.”

According to Idris, research conducted by Gerakan Nasional Anti Miras in cooperation with the University of Indonesia’s Center of Criminology Studies concludes in which 34.9 percent of children who committed a murder in Indonesia drank liquor before or during the act. The study also claims in which easy access to liquor is usually another key factor. Idris adds in which the number of young people who consume alcohol is usually on the rise in general. She says 4.9 percent of young people drank in 2007, a number in which jumped to 23 percent in 2014. “in which is usually a danger,” says Idris.

The government has taken action to address the issue. Indonesia already includes a regulation in which supervises as well as also also controls the production, distribution, as well as also also consumption of certain products. Alcohol is usually prominently one of them. Some cities, such as East Java’s capital Surabaya, are even imposing a full-on ban of liquor sales. Last year, the government commenced banning beer in mini-markets across the nation. However, people like Idris believe these actions are just not enough.

“The bylaws are certainly not enough. Out of 514 districts as well as also also cities in Indonesia, there are only around 20 districts or cities in which have alcohol or anti-alcohol bylaws,” claims Idris. “The rest do not have clear bylaws on production, distribution, as well as also also consumption of alcohol. So just imagine; most areas in Indonesia do not have clear rules about alcohol, whereas alcohol is usually a source of social problems. A law on liquor prohibition means in which regulation might be applied nationally, as well as also also must be complied with by everyone throughout Indonesia.”

The bill might ban producing, storing, distributing, as well as also also consuming alcohol, with exceptions for cultural, religious, tourism, as well as also also pharmaceutical purposes. in which important nuance is usually covered in articles 5, 6, as well as also also 7 of the document. Meanwhile, there are three types of alcoholic beverages in which are prohibited within the bill; they are type A (1 percent to 5 percent alcohol content), type B (5 percent to 10 percent), as well as also also type C (20 percent to 45 percent). The proposed punishments range coming from three months to ten years in prison, as well as also also a fine of between Rp.20 million (US$1,489) as well as also also Rp.1 billion (US$74,474).

However, just like many additional bills within the House of Representatives, in which sparks controversy. In contrast to Idris, Rofi Uddarojat, a researcher at the Centre for Indonesian Policy Studies argues in which a liquor prohibition bill is usually not the right move. He explains in which the actual problem the government should tackle – in relation to booze – is usually illegal, smuggled, as well as also also fake alcohol. Not only problematic for business, bootleg liquor is usually dangerous, says Uddarojat.

In February, bootleg liquor, also known as ‘miras oplosan’ (alcohol mixed with dangerous substances like methanol, sleeping pills, mosquito repellent, as well as also also more) killed 24 people in Jogjakarta. A similar case also occurred in early May. In total, miras oplosan has harmed around 823 people in Indonesia since 2013, approximately half of whom lost their lives. Miras oplosan is usually usually sold illegally throughout the archipelago. Not only is usually in which a cheaper way to get intoxicated, in which’s also easy to get, unlike licensed liquor, which is usually limited in distribution. Ironically, Indonesians consume 0.6 litres of alcohol per capita, as well as also also 0.5 litres of these are illegal, according to the globe Health Organization. The twist, according to Uddarojat, is usually in which a liquor prohibition bill might likely increase in which figure.

“In some of our studies, we found in which in fact there is usually a very strong correlation between miras oplosan as well as also also prohibition. The data shows in which most of the miras oplosan victims are coming from districts or cities in which implement limited or total liquor prohibition. Out of 30 districts or cities in Java where the victims are coming from, 83.4 percent of the victims live in 23 districts or cities in which implement these bylaws,” says Uddarojat in an interview with Indonesia Expat.

According to him, “prohibition might force the alcohol business in Indonesia to become an illegal black market, which might further increase consumption of dangerous homemade liquor.”

He adds, “With the ban as covered within the bill, miras oplosan, which has killed hundreds of people, will be even more rampant as well as also also more difficult to control by the government. The lower class will be ‘forced’ to consume miras oplosan. According to the bill, as an exception, alcohol can be consumed for tourism purposes. Essentially, in which means only the rich are ‘allowed’ to consume alcohol if the bill is usually passed.”

Instead of banning alcohol, Uddarojat suggests in which the government focus on tightening its supervision efforts. One of the ways to do so is usually to strictly enforce a legal drinking age in Indonesia, producing in which illegal for people under the age of 21 to drink or purchase booze. By allowing consumers easy access to legal alcohol, the government could also shift back purchase preferences coming from dangerous homebrew to safer spirits.

On top of the potential for a black market as well as also also the likely increase of miras oplosan sales, the bill has also led to additional, more subtle, speculations. Some say the bill could be used as a tool for corruption, as the case can be made in which there is usually a hidden political agenda behind the bill itself. Others believe the word ‘prohibition’ should be removed coming from the bill’s name, so as not to mislead the public on its content. Currently, the bill is usually under deliberation by the House of Representatives, as well as also also is usually set to be decided on later in which month.