Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – For the first time in eight years, five residents of Aceh's Pidie district on Friday were caned publicly for gambling, a violation of Shariah laws enforced in the province.

The public caning in the yard of Al-Falah mosque in Sigli was witnessed by around 1,000 people after Friday prayers.

"One of them was flogged eight times, while the four others were flogged seven times," Sabaruddin Hasan, the head of the Aceh Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and the Shariah Police (Wilayatul Hisbah), told the Jakarta Globe on Friday.

The punishment was meted out on a special stage set up in front of the mosque, by two officials who had covered their faces. Sabaruddin said the people in Aceh were enthusiastic about witnessing corporal punishment. "More caning – serves you right!" one of the spectators shouted.

Sabaruddin said that the Shariah Police had actually been lenient. The gambler who received eight strokes of the cane, had been sentenced to nine, and the other four had been sentenced to eight strokes each. But because they had already served a month in detention, their sentences were reduced.

Under a 2003 bylaw, Aceh residents found guilty of gambling can face up to twelve strokes of the cane.

The five who were sentenced on Friday were arrested by Shariah Police officers in January and February. It was the first caning in Pidie district in eight years, and it was witnessed by senior officials, including Deputy District Head M. Iriawan and Pidie Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sunarya.

"The caning shows the commitment of the Pidie district government to uphold Shariah law and serves as a lesson so that people know that we're serious," Sabaruddin said, adding: "The police chief told me that he really supports the enforcement of Shariah."

Sabaruddin said that the fact that nobody had been caned in the past eight years did not mean there were no violations of Shariah law in Pidie. "But the perpetrators got away," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/five-gamblers-publicly-caned-acehs-pidie-district/