64 young people were arrested at a punk concert in Banda Aceh on
Saturday December 11th. A few days later they were taken to a police
training school, where their hair was ritually shaved, their clothes and
possessions were taken from them, they were forced to pray, and the
Acehnese authorities stated that they would be held for 10 days for
're-education'. Actions in support of the punks have taken place across
Indonesia but also around the world as punk communities have responded
to the news, after mainstream media outlets broadcast pictures of the
mass detention.
What happened in Aceh?
After years of war and the devastation of the 2004 tsunami, a peace
process was started which resulted in considerable autonomy for
Indonesia's northernmost province. Former GAM fighters won the
elections. One of the changes they brought in was a form of Islamic
Syaria'h law, which is not enforced in any other part of Indonesia.
Currently Aceh is in the run-up to new elections and different
candidates are pitching their image to the public.
In nearly all parts of Indonesia there is a large punk scene. Many young
homeless kids are attracted by the music and the lifestyle and can
support each other in many ways, forming a subcultural community.
Indonesian punks often earn a living by busking on buses or at traffic
lights, and travel the country for free, hitch-hiking on the back of
trucks. But at concerts, which are usually free or cheap and organised
according to DIY ethics, people from all backgrounds come along.
The concert on 10th December 2011 was a benefit gig to raise money for
orphans. Apparently the event started at about 3pm and it was supposed
to continue into the night. but at 21.30, police climbed onto the stage
and demanded that the event should finish. The people there tried to
negotiate for the gig to continue, but the cops didn't seem to care.
Reacting to the cops' behaviour, the punks started singing a popular
resistance song, Darah Juang (blood of struggle), but as it happened,
that song seemed to provoke the anger of the cops who then started
beating people and arresting them.
The arrested punks were taken to the Seulawah National Police School one
hour from Banda Aceh city. That's where their hair was shaved off and
they were forced into the lake. Punks in Aceh who weren't arrested have
found it difficult to get any communication with their friends, because
it seems they are in isolation.
