The Jakarta Post, October 26, 2006
Motorbike gangs terrorize Bandung residents, police powerless
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
Even now, Maman, 55, feels uneasy whenever he encounters a group of youngsters
riding noisy motorbikes on the streets of Bandung.
Maman, an editor at the Galamedia local daily, said what happened to him four years
ago was still vivid in his memory. Mamang had taken his motorbike to work because
his son was using his car. While riding home after midnight, he was approached by a
gang of youths on motorbikes in a quiet spot on Jl. Rumah Sakit, Gedebage, East
Bandung. One of the gang members suddenly kicked his bike.
"I fell off my bike, and they immediately started yelling at me and accusing me of
beating their friend. One of them even shouted 'Kill him, just kill him'," Maman said
angrily, recalling the incident.
Rather than risk his life, Maman let them take his motorbike. Besides the trauma, he
bears a scar on his temple from the attack.
Since then, he always drives his car to work and avoids encounters with groups on
bikes.
Another Galamedia journalist, Gatot, had a similar experience one night. He had to
get 10 stitches on his right arm after being attacked by a gang of bikers.
"I just looked at them and all of a sudden they came at me. One of them swung a
samurai sword at me and I repelled it with my right arm," said Gatot, who was lucky
not to have his bike stolen.
Another Bandung reporter, Agus Rakasiwi, was also attacked by a bike gang on Jl.
Setiabudi at midnight two months ago.
He was stabbed in the chest and had to get stitches. Only the presence of passing
cars saved him from further trouble.
These journalists and hundreds of other people who are out late at night in Bandung
have fallen prey to bike gangs within the last few years.
This form of juvenile violence reached a new height when teenagers robbed a 24-hour
minimarket in the Cihampelas area and got away with merchandise worth Rp 8 million
(US$875).
Authorities said the incident was triggered by gang warfare, usually linked to school
fights among different bike gangs. Two of the alleged perpetrators are now standing
trial at Bandung District Court.
Some members of the gangs are still teenagers wearing junior high school uniforms.
The gangsters use knives, samurai swords and other sharp objects to threaten and
attack their victims, as indicated by the evidence seized by police.
Some have told police they were lured into the illegal activities by friends, but others
have confessed they intended to steal other people's motorbikes to upgrade their own
machines.
Police have had a hard time curbing the crimes, despite the arrests of 105 bike gang
members in 2003 and routine operations conducted by police to nab violators.
Bike-gang related crimes are the most common kind of criminal case in Bandung.The
Central Bandung Police recorded 88 cases of biker crimes in 2005, and 56 cases
from January to September of this year. The actual number of crimes is higher,
however, since the police only count cases in which suspects are caught.
A sociologist from Padjadjaran University, Budi Radjab, said the gangs' activities are
partly the result of upper-class arrogance going unchallenged by the authorities.
He said gang members felt stronger when they were in a group. He urged parents,
school officials and police to pay more attention to the problem.
"If need be, disband them. There should be no more bike gangs in the city if they are
harming the public," said Budi.
Strong backing by parents with good connections appears to be one of the factors
behind the violence.
Reporters covering news at the Central Bandung police station were once approached
by a military colonel, whose son, believed to be a gang member, was in detention.
The officer reprimanded the reporters for tainting his image by featuring the case in the
media.
His son was reportedly released and never prosecuted.
Of the 88 cases handled by the Central Bandung Police last year, only 64 were taken
to court, while only 26 cases of the 56 this year have been prosecuted.
Among those prosecuted was a gang leader in his 30s who had been imprisoned
three times for committing crimes on the streets.
Bandung City Police Chief Sr. Comr. Edmon Ilyas has promised to take tougher
measures to curb this kind of crime. He said if necessary, his office would issue
orders to shoot suspected perpetrators on sight if they were caught in the act of
committing gang violence.
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