Indonesia Considers Video Game "Restrictions" After School Bombing
Local police found explosive powder and writings at the home of a 17-year-old suspect, who's currently receiving medical treatment.
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After a devastating attack left almost 100 people injured in an Indonesian school, the country's president is now mulling over the idea of "restricting online games" because they allegedly make "violence a normal thing."
According to a Bloomberg report, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has ordered his cabinet to look into what the restrictions would look like following a police investigation into the violent attack. Subianto didn't clarify what restrictions he and his team had in mind. However, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said they're looking at Krafton Inc.'s battle royale shooter PUBG, which is immensely popular in Indonesia.
"We're thinking about restrictions because, in these games, there [are] many different kinds of weapons," Hadi said. "It's easy to learn. And, psychologically, it makes violence a normal thing."
In a longer statement to ANews, Hadi expressed the need to find solutions to how games can negatively influence kids, claiming that teachers "must be more aware if their students show any suspicious signs."
"The president said that we need to come up with ways to restrict and find a solution to the negative effects of online games," Hadi continued. "There is a possibility that such games can influence our youth. Take PUBG as an example. Players can easily learn the types of weapons. And they will start to normalize violence."
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the attack occurred in North Jakarta on Friday, November 7. As people were gathering for prayers in a mosque inside the State Senior High School 72, an explosion went off that injured 96 people. Police are still investigating the bombing, but early findings currently suggest that a 17-year-old student might've carried out the attack.
According to SCMP, police found explosive powder and writings from the teenager's home. Police also reportedly uncovered a toy submachine gun that appeared to be inscribed with white supremacist slogans and the names of two neo-Nazis convicted of deadly attacks in Canada and Italy. Police allegedly don't believe this was a terrorist attack, but according to SCMP, they're looking at local media reports suggesting that the teenager--who may have been a grade 12 student--was bullied and wanted revenge.
ANews corroborated SCMP's reporting via the local outlet, Jakarta Globe News, stating that the student had allegedly brought a homemade bomb to the school.
"Officers reportedly discovered a soda can believed to be part of the explosive device," the local outlet added (via ANews). "An airsoft-style rifle bearing references to notorious mass shooters was found at the scene."
