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Read Full BioThe Indonesian Marine Corps says it has disciplined active soldiers found placing bets on illegal casino platforms.
Per a report from the official website of the Pasukan Marinir, the Indonesian Marine Corps, Pasukan Marinir 1, the corps’ main executive command center, announced the sanctions on August 19.
The corps also released images of the proceedings on Pasukan Marinir 1’s Instagram page, where the faces of some soldiers were blurred to protect their identities.
Indonesian Marine Corps Cracks Down on Gambling
Pasukan Marinir 1 stated that it was taking “firm action” against soldiers who violate army regulations and national law.
The corps did not reveal the names or ranks of the soldiers involved. Nor did it issue details about the nature of the punishments.
However, the corps’ statements revealed that none of the soldiers involved were court-martialed.
Brigadier-General Ena Sulaksana said that the hope is the punishments serve as a warning “so that no more soldiers in Pasmar Marinir 1 will get involved in online gambling games.”
The officer added that gambling can cause harm to “soldiers themselves, their families, and their units.”
The corps said that its military court had acted after receiving data from the regulatory Financial Services Authority (OJK).
The OJK traced access to several banned gambling platforms to the marines’ mobile devices and passed the information on to Pasukan Marinir 1.
The military unit updated its own enforcement measures for soldiers involved in online gambling on June 20.
Pasukan Marinir 1’s command center said it would begin “routine checks” of soldiers’ cell phones to make sure they are not accessing gambling sites.
Commanders to Provide ‘Legal Education’ for Soldiers
The corps also vowed to provide soldiers with “legal education” to ensure they are aware of the illegality of using gambling sites. Commanders said this would help create a “healthy work environment” at Pasmar Marinir 1.
Speaking at the disciplinary hearing, Major Marine Tutang Variyadi told soldiers: “Make this a moment for self-reflection. You still have long careers ahead of you. Let us all uphold the good name and dignity of the Indonesian Navy, particularly the Marine Corps.”
Earlier this month, the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs invited experts to assist in preparing measures against virtual private network (VPN) operators.
The ministry thinks citizens use VPNs to bypass blocking orders on blacklisted gaming sites. It suggested that it wants to either ban or restrict the use of VPNs as part of Jakarta’s ongoing crackdown on online gambling.
