"We will cooperate in terms of exchange of information on the fight against drug trafficking. An MoU is expected to be signed this August," Indradi said after attending a talk show marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
He said cooperation with Mexico was beneficial to Indonesia since the latter had experience in dealing with international drug syndicates. He said drug trafficking was a transnational crime and therefore joint efforts by governments and peoples must be made to deal with it.
Indonesia has been battling drug trafficking for years. Recently, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched the National Strategy and Policy (Jakstranas) Movement for the Prevention and Eradication of Illegal Circulation and Abuse of Narcotics ((P4GN) 2011 - 2015.
"To save us all, I hail the efforts of BNN to fight and prevent abuse of narcotics," the president said stressing that narcotics trafficking was a serious and dangerous crime that needed common attention and commitment to prevent and eliminate it.
He said that narcotics were destroying the nation`s younger generation, characters and society and in the long run, it would undermine the nation`s competitiveness. The president said that narcotics abuse would also prompt people to commit other criminal acts such as robbery, theft, money laundering and terrorism.
To further intensify the campaign against drugs, the President ordered the BNN chief to lead the (P4GN) movement which aimed to free Indonesia from narcotics by 2015. "I have ordered the BNN to lead this movement," he said.
He had also instructed the government`s rank and file in Jakarta and in the regions to support the BNN in realizing its determination to create an "Indonesia Free of Narcotics 2015."
He said if all sides were committed and work hard together, Indonesia would be able to stop and prevent narcotics crimes which had the potential to destroy the nation`s younger generation.
In an effort to carry out the program and to free Indonesia from narcotics abuse, the President issued a six-point instruction. "We have done a lot (to stop narcotics crime) but it seems that it is not yet enough, we still have to be more aggressive," the president said.
Among the six instructions are increase the intensity of illegal drug trafficking prevention efforts, increase regional and international cooperation in an effort to protect Indonesia from narcotics organizations, calls on educators, parents and religious leaders to actively educate younger generations to avoid them from narcotics crimes.
Other instructions are for the police and legal enforcers to actively make efforts to uncover narcotics crimes and punish the perpetrators with appropriate punishment. The president also expressed hope that people will become more active in supporting the government`s effort to eradicate drug problems.
President Yudhoyono also reminded the need to encourage narcotic rehabilitation programs and the preparedness to accept former drug addicts to return to society.
(T.A051/HAJM/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
