Fransiska Christine Maria Sitanggang
Staff, Research Division FPCI Chapter UPN Veteran Jakarta
I think the general public must already understand what drugs are. World Health Organization defines drugs as psychoactive drugs, which are substances that when taken or administered into a person’s system, affect mental processes, such as perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions. Furthermore, another definition of drugs according to the Australian Ministry of Health, Drugs are substances that alter a person’s mental or physical state. They can affect the way your brain works, the way you feel and behave, your understanding, and your senses. This makes drugs unpredictable and dangerous, especially for young people.
In international relations studies, transnational drug crime can be viewed as a threat to a country’s non-traditional security. Why are drugs a threat to national security? As the author has stated in the paragraph above, drugs affect brain performance and are harmful to health, especially for young people. These young people are the hope for a country to be able to defend its sovereignty. If the young people in a country are indicated as drugs users or drugs dealers, the country will certainly face other crime problem that arise due to drug crimes.
Non-Traditional Security Concepts
Threats and vulnerabilities to a country’s security can arise both militarily and non-militarily. After the end of the cold war, the study of security has expanded into non-military sector which also no longer emphasizes the state as an actor, but involves non-state actors.
One of the major approaches in international relations studies that discusses non-traditional security is the Copenhagen School. This approach was pioneered by Buzan, Weaver and de Wilde (1998). Buzan propound that non-traditional security approaches as critical security approaches, which emphasize the idea that individuals are important entities for security. Furthermore, Buzan also classifies five factors that influence the development of security studies, those are great power politics, technology, events institutionalization, and academic debate.
After the end of the cold war, the world seemed to open up with various security. Furthermore, in recent decades, the world is often faced with various non-military issues that threaten state sovereignty, ranging from climate change issues, transnational crime, illegal fishing, health issues, transnational drug trafficking, and many more issues that have a direct impact on human security and state sovereignty.
Overview of Narcotics Cases in Indonesia
In Indonesia, transnational drug crimes have reached the teenage level, which is the future of the nation. Indonesia has become a target market for international drug dealers. Indonesia’s strategic geographical location, between the continents of Asia and Australia as well as the Indian and Pacific Oceans. International drug dealers have certainly targeted Indonesia as a transit and destination country for the illegal drug trade.
Source: https://puslitdatin.bnn.go.id/portfolio/data-statistik-kasus-narkoba/
Based on statistics obtained from the official website of the National Narcotics Agency of the Republic of Indonesia, it can be seen that the graph of narcotics cases in Indonesia tends to increase every year. This graph certainly gives us an idea that there are still many cases of drug abuse and trafficking that have not been revealed.
Overview of the Drug Problem in Southeast
The drug problem in Southeast Asia cannot be separated from the Golden Triangle region. Geographically, the Golden Triangle is a delta located between the Mekong and Mae Sai Rivers. The region is the border between Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. In the Golden Triangle region, opium is the main production. Opium has indeed been the main production in the Golden Triangle region since the 19th century. However, not only opium-type narcotics are produced there, but also other types of narcotics such as marijuana and Amphetamine-type Stimulants.
Narcotics smuggled in from the golden triangle is certainly a threat to countries in the ASEAN region, especially in this case, Indonesia. The main threat that will be felt by Indonesia is the loss of quality human resources, which of course will threaten the sovereignty of the country. If human resources are destroyed, it will harm the character of a nation. In reality, quality human resources are an important asset for the progress of a nation.
Lastly, the Indonesian government must be really firm and serious in realizing the commitment of drug-free Indonesia. Moreover, during the government of President Jokowi, he has committed to strengthening the massive eradication of narcotics in order to create a drug-free Indonesia. Cooperation between the Indonesian government and ASEAN must also be strengthened and of course the government must attract all parties to work together to create a drug-free Indonesia. If we look back at the previous graph, there is a slight possibility for Indonesia to be able to reduce the crime rate of drug abuse and cross-border drug smuggling.
Referensi
Azizah, R. Z. (2020). Mendefinisikan Kembali Konsep Keamanan dalam Agenda Kebijakan Negara-Bangsa. Jurnal Diplomasi Pertahanan, 94-104.
Emmers, R. (2003). ASEAN and the Securitization of Transnational Crime in Southeast Asia. The Pacific Review, 419-438.
G, G., & W, K. (2021). Penanganan Internasional Crime Berupa Kejahatan Narkotika Lintas Negara Bekerjasama Dengan INTERPOL. Lex Privatum, 95-100.
Gresnia F Arela, M. R. (2018, Maret 24). DetikX. Diambil kembali dari news.detik.com: https://news.detik.com/x/detail/investigasi/20180305/Indonesia-dan-Segitiga-Emas-Narkoba/
Herindrasti, V. (2018). Drug-Free ASEAN 2025: Tantangan Indonesia dalam Penanggulangan Penyalahgunaan Narkoba. Jurnal Hubungan Internasional, 19-33.
Prayuda, R. &. (2020). Problems faced by ASEAN in dealing with transnational drug smuggling in Southeast Asia Region. Foresight, 353-366.
Syahirah, A. (2022, Oktober 24). Kawasan Segitiga Emas Pasca Pandemi, Jadi Ancaman Keamanan Indonesia? Diambil kembali dari rmol.id: https://rmol.id/read/2022/10/24/551766/kawasan-segitiga-emas-pasca-pandemi-jadi-ancaman-keamanan-indonesia
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