Deterring or Entertaining? Can the Caning Punishment Execution in Aceh Meet its Objective?

Abstract

This article probes whether the implementation of the caning sentence in Aceh may reach its objective of deterrent effect given the way the execution conducted. From the field observation, the flogging was not much different from entertainment. The mass gathered in one place to watch the execution; they include children, street vendors, researchers, and journalists. There was a stage, VIP seats for guests, loudspeakers, administrative arrangements, and the caning punishment procession. Using a qualitative research approach with an in-depth interview method, it seeks to understand how the community involved in the caning execution was and how the government was designed the sentence as such and why. It finds that while the government saw the caning law as the implementation of Islamic sharia in Aceh, the people interpreted its execution more as entertainment. The government has used the caning sentence execution as a demonstration of power, often for a political gain, because it emphasizeds its presence not only as of the guardian of shari’a for Acehnese but also as a devout politician who keeps his political promises. Yet, little of this punishment deterrent effect conveyed to the society due to the way it was staged and executed.Keywords: Qanun Jinayat, Aceh, Caning Punishment, Stage, Entertainment, Deterrent EffectAbstrak Artikel ini meneliti tentang tujuan pelaksanaan hukuman cambuk di Aceh sebagai efek jera dengan cara ‘dipanggungkan’. Dari pengamatan lapangan, hukum cambuk yang dilakukan tidak jauh berbeda dengan hiburan. Dimana massa berkumpul di satu tempat untuk menyaksikan eksekusi yang terdiri dari; anak-anak, pedagang kaki lima, peneliti, dan wartawan. Terdapat panggung tempat eksekusi cambuk dilakukan, kursi VIP untuk tamu undangan, pengeras suara, pengaturan administrasi dan prosesi hukuman cambuk. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan wawancara mendalam. Penelitian ini berusaha memahami bagaimana pandangan dan keterlibatan masyarakat dalam pelaksanaan hukuman tersebut serta bagaimana pemerintah merancang hukuman cambuk dan alasan di balik hukuman ini. Hasil penelitian memperlihatkan bahwa Pemerintah melihat hukum cambuk sebagai bukti komitmen pemerintah terhadap penerapan syariah Islam di Aceh, sedangkan masyarakat melihat hukum cambuk sebagai hiburan. Dalam hal ini Pemerintah menggunakan eksekusi hukum cambuk sebagai demonstrasi kekuasaan, bagian dari agenda politik, karena menekankan kehadirannya tidak hanya sebagai wali syariah bagi rakyat Aceh tetapi juga sebagai politisi yang menepati janji politiknya. Namun, eksekusi hukum cambuk dengan cara dipentaskan ini hanya memberi sedikit efek jera kepada masyarakat. Kata kunci: Qanun Jinayat, Aceh, Hukuman cambuk, Panggung, Hiburan, Efek Pencegah

Pre-/Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms of Qanun Defendants: A Case Report

“…Subsequently, the execution of caning sentence for this case was performed to provide educational media for the society that views the execution. In contrast, a study has reported that although the local government of Aceh intended to implement the Islamic Sharia in to achieve a well-behaved society, the people who view the caning execution perceived it more as entertainment [11], rather than educational or deterring. Our assumption might have confirmed by the expression of the patient by demonstrating a thought about death and experience of worthlessness (Table 2).…”

Seeking Justice Through Qanun Jinayat: The Narratives of Female Victims of Sexual Violence in Aceh, Indonesia

“…The penalties for perpetrators of sexual violence are considered lighter than those in the Criminal Code, which indicates the weakness of gender sensibility in the regulation. In addition, the application of caning for perpetrators based on the Qanun Jinayat has not only shifted to become a symbol for the local government's attention to the implementation of Islamic law but also to an arena for staging punishments for the community (Fadlia et al, 2020).…”