Kafil Yamin, Jakarta – Surya Sunjaya, who has been in the "entertainment business" for 23 years and is suspected to run a drug operation as well, is not afraid of police operations. He can face any bust by the police force, he says, because he knows he can "make a deal" with them.
But there is another force he would run away from – the "santri" led by students of traditional Muslim boarding schools, which are responsible for a string of action, some of them violent, against perceived moral decadence.
"Dealing with the police is easy. Meet them and give them some money, and business is done," Surya said, referring to corrupt law enforcers. "Even when you face 'clean' police officers, you can still bear the risk because they won't destroy your things. They uphold the rules." But santris are uncompromising, as Surya himself found out last week.
On December 7, his restaurant was attacked, stoned and burned down by some 250 santris who call themselves "Hizbullah" (the Allah forces). Damage was estimated at 5 billion rupiah (215,000 US dollars).
The attack was carried by the santri because of widespread belief that Surya's "restaurant" was more than just that. Community residents say that every Saturday night, Surya's restaurant changes into a discotheque, and trade in illegal drugs goes on.
The police came to the site after the attack, and did nothing. The local police chief, Lt Col Bambang Sudarisman, gave what has become a standard reply in such situations: "We thank the 'santris' for their concern in this crime. But they took the law into their own hands – that's another cause for our concern." The santris' rise to their "law enforcer" role has been prompted by the rapid and widespread growth of narcotics trade in Indonesia, a trend that worries community and religious leaders, as well as other social ills and crimes.
"Santri come forward [to take over the police role] because there is no institution and force to trust in attempt to curb the drug use," said K H Anang, leader of the Suryalaya boarding school.
Zainal Abidin, senior lecturer at the Bandung-based State Islamic Institute or IAIN, says that history shows that the santri normally emerges "when society is under threat of moral decadence, evil and other forms of sinful deeds and wickedness". Many santri in fact believe they are acting based on Islam, as the Koran says "When you see an evil, then do something", say social experts.
During the last three months, huge rallies by santri and other Muslim groups have been common scenes in some major cities of Indonesia. The rallies were usually followed by anti-drug "operations", some of which became violent.
Figures of santri operations so far are hard to come by, but attacks on discos and nightsports regularly make it to media headlines. Common estimates put the number of drug users at 13 million, a figure that law enforcers believe to be rising by four percent a year.
Many believe that the police have not been serious in attempts to curb crime. Worse, reports of police and military involvement in drug abuse and trafficking have also been increasing. No less than President Abdurrahman Wahid has rebuked corrupt police officials, vowing heavy punishment.
Just recently, at least 97 members of East Java provincial police were suspected of being drug users, police officials said. Seven are being tried on drug charges, while one has been found guilty and sentenced to four years in jail.
The problem is such that according to East Java Police Chief M Dayat, even in the police academy in Porong, several cadets were suspected of being drug users. One cadet is being interrogated and blood tests of 64 others have found traces of illegal substances.
These do little for the already notorious reputation of corrupt policemen, who are known also to protect prostitution networks – the object of the santris's ire as well.
In Tangerang, hundreds of santri raided and burned 25 dimly lit kiosks, which they believed has been used as prostitution dens at Sungai Tahang, Selembaran Jati village.
In this incident, the police tried to block the mob from the attack, but one of the attackers slipped through the barricade, poured gasoline and set fire to one of the kiosks.
There are millions of "pesantren" (Muslim boarding schools) around the country, and many of their students also have martial arts skills. Already, criminals may be thinking twice about going ahead with their "businesses'.
But the emergence of groups that take the law into their own hands because of their perception that Indonesian society is losing its way, has caused worries about the rule of law. Already, casual traders are scared to keep their stores open when santris are on operations. Likeise, there is concern that vigilante-type groups could easily become abusive.
"If people think that they can resort to violence in dealing with their problems, then we are facing doomsday," said Hotma Sitompoel, a noted lawyer.
"Public utilities are destroyed. Traffic signs were ignored. And ethics are deserted because violence outweighs everything," he said, warning of anarchy. "Then why should we go to school? Why should we go to the mosques or churches?" He disputed the opinion that violence can be resorted to when the law does not work. "If you find the law does not work, make it work."