Street brawls (or tawuran as they are known locally) between gangs of schoolchildren and even residents of different neighborhoods are unfortunately a common occurrence in Jakarta and other parts of Indonesia, with many of them turning brutally violent and even deadly.
The latest street brawl in Jakarta produced a series of viral images and videos that are emblematic of just how shockingly brutal they can be.
(WARNING: This video may be too disturbing for some viewers.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTSxHDZgNzm/?hl=en
If you’re too squeamish to watch the video, it shows a man walking away, presumably from a brawl, with the blade of a long sickle embedded just above his right eye. His friend is walking alongside him while holding on to the sickle to stop it from causing more damage.
The victim was identified in the media as 18-year-old Albert Jhon Daniel Tengker. According to reports, he took part in a brawl between two neighborhoods that took place in the Kramat Jati district of East Jakarta yesterday.
“The victim is now undergoing medical care. After the operation, he has become more stable,” said East Jakarta Police Chief Grand Commissioner Andry Wibowo, as quoted by Kompas today.
Police say they are questioning 30 witnesses in relation to yesterday’s brawl. It is believed that the brawl was sparked after one neighborhood’s residents were bothered by fireworks being set off by the residents of the other neighborhood.
Last month, Al-Jazeera released a mini documentary on street brawls in Indonesia, in which seasoned brawlers suggested that tawuran fulfills a cultural need among young Indonesian men – like a rite of passage to prove one’s masculinity.
Over the past 5 years, there have been over 130 student deaths in 800 brawls just in and around Jakarta. Local law enforcement often don’t put much resources into investigating street brawls, which, more often than not, involve low income citizens.
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