Eight Indonesians who refused to wear masks have been made to dig graves for COVID-19 victims in a rural province in the country. Three men and five minors were sentenced to grave-digging duties in the Cerme district of Gresik Regency, East Java.
Mask wearing is mandatory in public spaces throughout Indonesia, but the government has given local officials the power to decide on punishments for violaters.
In Cerme, authorities give those caught flouting mask-wearing laws the option of paying a fine of 150,000 rupiah or accepting community service, the district’s leader, said. This has largely seen people engage in cleaning duties, or public exercise such as push-ups, Suyono said he hopes assisting with grave digging will show show “firsthand the real and serious effect of Covid-19”. It comes as the district deals with a shortage of grave diggers.
“There are only three available gravediggers at the moment, so I thought I might as well put these people to work with them,” Suyono told. The leader explained that those being punished did not participate in the burial process. “Hopefully this can create a deterrent effect against violations,” Suyono said. He added that coronavirus cases are continuing to rise in the district, leading officials to impose stricter measures against the spread of the virus.
Post Your Comments