Sarong War Leads To Death, Parents Are Asked To Monitor Children's Activities During Ramadan

Dozens of teenagers from Sukamulya Village, Sukaluyu District, Cianjur Regency, West Java, were arrested by officers during a sarong war with another teenager, Tuesday (28/3/2023). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Child observer Retno Listyarti reminded parents to monitor their children's activities during Ramadan. This is because the sarong war that is often carried out by children during Ramadan has claimed victims. In Ramadan this year, the sarong war again ended in death. One of them on March 25, 2023, the sarong war at Kemisn Market, Tangerang, Banten, resulted in casualties. The police arrested 18 teenagers involved along with evidence. “ Apparently, the sarong was not empty, but some were inserted with pipes to iron. This is what resulted in fatality when it hit the opponent, ” said Retno in his statement, Wednesday, March 29. Not only parents, Retno asked teachers at school to educate their children to fill useful activities in the month of Ramadan. Children need to be given an understanding not to carry out a sarong war if the intention is to injure the opponent because the sarong is filled with blunt and sharp objects. "Supervision of child social media can also be carried out together between teachers and parents, because generally the promise of a sarong war is carried out through social media. Supervision of parents plays a very important role in ensuring that after the saur, children who have permission to pray at dawn in congregation do not carry out sarong wars," he explained. The former KPAI commissioner said that actually the sarong war is a tradition of playing teenagers to fill activities in the month of Ramadan. Usually, the sarong war is carried out after dawn and Fajr prayer. “ In the Banyumas area, for example, the sarong war is more like a game, where a sarong that is lifted and integer shape aims to be used as a weapon to attack the opposing play, but does not hurt. So the players just laugh at the tip of the opponent's sarong ”," explained Retno. In the game of the Sarong War, in general, the 2 groups that will face each other are the first agreement to meet and compete in the sarong war. It's just that, lately this game turned into a brawl or a fight between groups. Where the goal is not to play, fill free time and have fun, but the goal is to injure or paralyze the opponent. In fact, recently the end of the sarong has been put in a stone and there is even iron so that when it is beaten to the opponent, it will hurt and even hurt. "If it hits the head or eye, the impact will be very fatal, this is what causes casualties," he added.