Stressed By The City Government's Policy, Fishermen In Aceh Apply For Lethal Injection To The Court

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BANDA ACEH - A fisherman named Nazaruddin Razali (59), a resident of Pusong Village, Banda Sakti District, Lhokseumawe City, Aceh submitted a request for lethal injection or euthanasia to the local district court.

Nazaruddin Razali said the euthanasia application was made because he admitted that he was depressed by the Lhokseumawe City Government's policy of relocating fish farming cages in Pusong Reservoir.

"If the government doesn't care about us cage farmers in Pusong Reservoir, I'd ask for a lethal injection in front of the Lhokseumawe Mayor and the Banda Sakti Muspika," said Nazaruddin, quoted by Antara, Thursday, January 6.

Nazaruddin Razali registered the application for lethal injection to the Lhokseumawe District Court on January 6, 2022. The application has been registered with the letter number PNL LSM-01-2022-KWS.

Nazaruddin Razali said that he submitted the application because he assessed that the state was not siding with cage fishermen who had depended on the reservoir for generations to meet their family's needs.

"I have to bear the burden of supporting the life of my wife and three children and two grandchildren. If the fish farming business is evicted, what will happen to us. So it is better for me to be put to death," said Nazaruddin Razali.

In addition, said Nazaruddin, he has experienced economic difficulties since the Lhokseumawe City Government announced that the Pusong Reservoir water was contaminated with waste.

As a result of this announcement, people are afraid to buy fish that are cultivated by cage fishermen in Pusong Reservoir, Banda Sakti District, Lhokseumawe City.

"He said the reservoir water contains waste. In fact, we have been eating fish cultured in the reservoir for decades and also bathing every day, but have not experienced health problems," said Nazaruddin.

He said he was getting more and more depressed and scared, because every day the sub-district visited to immediately vacate the cage cultivation location.

"I am very traumatized, because every day there are officers who come. This incident reminds me like the past conflict. We hope that this eviction will be canceled soon because it is related to our livelihood," said Nazaruddin Razali.