Photo Essay: Punks in the Police Camp School, by Chaideer Mahyuddin

IPA Photography, PROJECTS 12 Comments



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Punks in The Police Camp School

Indonesian sharia police are “morally rehabilitating” more than 60 young punk rock fans in Aceh province on Sumatra island, saying the youths are tarnishing the province’s image.

Since being arrested at a punk rock concert in the provincial capital Banda Aceh on Saturday night, 59 male and five female punk rock fans have been forced to have their hair cut, bathe in a lake, change clothes and pray.

“We feared that the Islamic sharia law implemented in this province will be tainted by their activities,” said Banda Aceh deputy mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal, who ordered the arrests.

Hundreds of Indonesian punk fans came from around the country to attend the concert, organised to raise money for orphans. Police stormed the venue and arrested fans sporting mohawks, tattoos, tight jeans and chains, who were on Tuesday taken to a nearby town to undergo a 10-day “moral rehabilitation” camp run by police. A girl cried as women in headscarves cut her long unruly hair into a short bob, and some of the men groaned as their heads were shaved.

Aceh, on the northernmost tip of Sumatra island, adopted partial sharia law in 2001 as part of a special autonomy package aimed at quelling separatist sentiment. Only Muslims can be charged under sharia law, although the non-Muslim community is expected to follow some laws out of respect. Nearly 90 percent of Indonesia’s 240 million people are Muslims, but the vast majority practise a moderate form of Islam.

Photographer: Chaideer Mahyuddin
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EOS 5D
Website: http://matakaki.com

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Comments 12

  1. What an essay!? Perfect shoot and very touching images… They love Punk but They can’t broke a culture in an area with their heart’s content, they must give their respect to local residents.

  2. Thanks to Mayor deputy of Banda Aceh, Hj.Illiza Sa’aduddin Jamal, Police (special to chairman of Police /Kapolda Aceh), The Goverment of Banda Aceh city, Aceh Goverment and all.
    We Home the boy of Punk can life is better.

    we proud tou Hj. Illizafor your Act to PUNKs.
    That’s the name of human rights cares!

  3. Awesome shots! Chaideer has successfully captured the emotional moments of the rare occasion took place in Banda Aceh. The pictures really speak for themselves…

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