T

his past week I experienced yet another of those horrific street fights between youths in Central Jakarta or its environs.

Apart from the extreme inconveniences caused to law-abiding citizens, including the blocking-off of traffic for considerable periods, and the trash left behind by the crowds of onlookers, it'€™s the implements being used by students that worries me more than anything.

What are the schools and the parents doing about these brawls and the implements kept in schoolbags? I imagine that some teachers and staff would be aware that trouble is brewing and could call in law enforcement before there'€™s serious trouble.

More particularly, what is law enforcement doing about them? I have not seen the presence of law enforcement in any of the incidents I'€™ve witnessed over the last few years.

Wouldn'€™t law enforcement be better served, rather than devoting scarce resources to rounding up unmarried couples living together? They should be pro-active in this area, and not just in the streets but in the schools themselves.

I would imagine it is an offense to damage public property, such as street lights, vehicles, etc., indeed cause damage to anything or anyone that just happens to be in their way. For someone who has been caught in the middle, they can be very scary.

Are any expulsions from schools ever carried out? Or do these groups just turn up for school the next day as if nothing had happened? What are schools doing to find the perpetrators and the causes?

Rather than running away after their skirmishes like Olympic sprint champions, if only the perpetrators could use their energy in a meaningful way. Visit the National Library or the Jakarta city library on an afternoon, as their counterparts do in their thousands in developed countries or do something that could benefit all.

D. Wilkey
Cinere, Depok