Indonesia: Punk rock fans detained in Aceh may face further indoctrination and harassment

They were held incommunicado from their families and kept away from school and work for ten days. They have completed their ten-day detention, but are not free. There will evidently be follow-up indoctrination, and they remain under the thumb of authorities.

Is there still a government in Jakarta? One could be forgiven for doubting. The Indonesian government remains content to take the path of least resistance -- that is, of not resisting -- against Islamic supremacism and attempts to impose Sharia. Left unchecked, the brutality of Sharia is gradually consuming the country. Aceh is semi-autonomous, but allowing it to go further and further off the rails without comment will only embolden like-minded movements within the rest of Indonesia.

"Aceh punk rock fans face more indoctrination," from Deutsche Presse Agentur, December 24 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

Banda Aceh, Indonesia - Punk rock fans in Indonesia's staunchly Muslim province of Aceh were relieved that a 10-day re-education programme finally ended, but further brainwashing efforts may await them.

Sixty-five punk rock enthusiasts on Friday completed a 10-day rehabilitation programme at a police school, aimed at persuading them to do away with their distinctive lifestyles.

Police arrested the 60 males and five females at a concert that authorities said lacked a permit this month.

The prior report linked above said they group had permission from the city. Was this a set-up? Authorities certainly seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do with the detainees.

Officers buzzed off the punkers' mohawks, removed their piercings and dog chains and forced them to bathe in a lake in a traditional cleansing ceremony normally practiced by cadets.

Authorities are considering further rehabilitation programmes for the youngsters, with the aim of converting them into 'Islamic punkers.'

'On Monday, we'll talk about what they need further,' said Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal, deputy mayor of provincial capital Banda Aceh.

'We'll turn the kids into Islamic punkers,' she said late Friday. 'They are free to express themselves as long as it's within Islamic boundaries.'

She said authorities would conduct a regular patrol to monitor the behaviour of the youths.

At the 'graduation ceremony' on Friday, the youths were asked to perform a rock song on the stage. Many of them cried as they belted out 'Film Murahan.'

One of them, Rian Rizki Ramadan, said he opposed the deputy mayor's proposal.

'We don't need more guidance,' he said. 'Ten days at the police school is enough.'

Junaidi Edward, 19, said he would remain a punker.

'Punk is not dead!' he screamed.

But Wahyu Karamullah, 20, said he was now a better person and was happy to return to his family.

'I learned a lot in the past 10 days,' he said. 'I learned to pray in a congregation and I have become more disciplined.'

One of them claimed he was not a member of punk community and feared he could lose his job in Medan, the capital of neighbouring North Sumatra province.

'What about my job? I don't know if I can get it back,' he said.

'Is it true he's not a punk kid?' the deputy mayor asked.

The group answered in unison: 'No, he's not!' [...]

Aceh imposes a form of Islamic law under special autonomy granted to the province as part of central government efforts to pacify a clamour for independence.

The government signed a peace deal with the Free Aceh Movement in 2005, ending decades of conflict that left more than 15,000 dead.