"The police should thoroughly investigate and apprehend parties involved in the street fight, including the organizers and those involved in the act," Padjalangi stated in Jakarta on Monday.
The member of the House's Commission III which oversees legal affairs urged the cyber police to take action on new accounts of street fight organizers that are still accessible despite earlier attempts to suspend the accounts.
"We should prevent another street duel from taking place because such illegal practices have a huge impact, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," he emphasized.
He reiterated the importance of parents and teachers monitoring the activities of children to prevent them from violating laws and committing criminal acts.
"Let us monitor our children's activities to prevent them from violating the law. Parents' regret is meaningless when they pick up their children from the prison as a consequence of their criminal acts," he emphasized.
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The Makassar Municipal Police had earlier cracked down on illegal street fighting crowds by arresting eight suspected fighters. Videos of their barehanded duels were shared on social media and went viral in the following days.
"Praise be to God, we have arrested eight individuals suspected as fighters or spectators of the street duel at several places," Makassar Municipal Police Criminal Unit Chief Police Commissioner Jamal Fathur Rakhman stated at a press conference on Wednesday (August 2).
At the press conference, Rakhman also thanked the South Sulawesi Province and Ujung Pandang Regional Police forces for supporting the investigation of illegal fighting practices.
The police had, so far, arrested RA and MA, both 19, as suspected fighters and six other suspected spectators, most of them being teenagers. Related news: Minister concerned about recent social conflicts
Translator: Imam B, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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