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Online arguments trigger fatal brawls in Greater Jakarta
In the digital era, people seem to have no qualms about saying anything from behind their screens and keyboards, which often sparks heated arguments on social media and other internet platforms
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span>In the digital era, people seem to have no qualms about saying anything from behind their screens and keyboards, which often sparks heated arguments on social media and other internet platforms. But for some young people in Greater Jakarta, online trolling can end up in real-life fighting.
Beginning on popular social media like Facebook and Instagram, lively arguments between individuals or groups have in the past led to deadly brawls.
Two recent brawls initiated by social media arguments occurred this month in Cakung, East Jakarta, and in the neighboring satellite city of Bogor, West Java.
The fight in Cakung, which happened on Sunday, involved two gangs called the Tiga Serangkai group and the Warjenk group. Some of the participants live-streamed the brawl on Instagram.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said members of Tiga Serangkai had come to the location carrying weapons. The conflict left at least four members of the Warjenk group with multiple stab wounds.
“They used mobile phones to record the brawl live on Instagram,” he said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday, noting that the police had arrested 13 suspects, three of whom were underage.
The 10 adult suspects are to be charged under Article 170 of the Criminal Code on public brawls and possession of unauthorized weapons. The article carries a maximum punishment of 12 years in prison.
The incident in Bogor, which took place on March 14, had begun with a heated argument on Facebook between two male high school students from different schools. The online exchange of words eventually led to the students, identified only AH, 17, and MR, 14, engaging in a real duel that involved sickles. AH died from head wounds sustained in the duel with MR.
Bogor Police criminal investigation division head Adj. Comr. Benny Cahyadi said investigators had arrested MR and seized their sickles and AH’s clothes as evidence.
Benny said MR and AH had not known or met each other prior to the duel, which took place in the Ciampea area of the city. The two had met on Facebook, where they became embroiled in a heated argument and then agreed to a one-on-one duel witnessed by their respective supporters.
In February, a 17-year-old student identified as MAS was killed in a fight between two groups of teenagers in Bekasi, West Java. Bekasi Police revealed that the two groups had been involved in an online exchange before meeting up and fighting in real life.
Bekasi Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Eka Mulyana said the brawl had taken place on Feb. 10 at 3 a.m. on the Rawa Bambu bridge.
“They taunted each other on social media and agreed to meet. Members of both groups brought sharp weapons. There were at least 19 people involved,” Eka said.
He explained that MAS’ group allegedly had lost in the fight and attempted to flee the scene. MAS had been left behind and become a target of the enmity.
Some people reportedly ran their motorcycles into MAS until he fell to the ground. They then beat MAS to death.
The cities of South Tangerang and Tangerang in Banten province have recorded similar incidents, such has in December last year, when youth groups from the municipalities allegedly initiated a brawl involving acid and sharp weapons after mocking each other on social media.
South Tangerang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ferdy Irawan said the brawl was between a group calling itself Perguruan Katak Beracun (Poisonous Frog Group) from South Tangerang and a group from Ciledug in Tangerang, Banten.
One member of the Ciledug group was killed in the brawl through stab wounds to his head, while four others were injured, including one who suffered severe eye injury from acid thrown at him. Nine teenagers alleged to be members of the group were arrested and named suspects by police, according to a report by wartakota.tribunnews.com. (vla)
