RISING DIVORCE RATES IN SOUTH PAPUA DRIVEN BY ONLINE GAMBLING AND ECONOMIC WOES

JAKARTA, June 25 (Bernama) -- Divorce rates among wives in South Papua province have sharply risen this year, driven largely by economic pressures compounded by involvement in harmful online gambling activities, according to the Merauke Religious Court.

According to the spokesperson for the court, Muhammad Sobirin, there have been 41 cases of talaq divorce and 152 divorce applications so far, marking a significant rise compared to the same period last year.

“Financial difficulties were a major factor, prompting many wives to initiate divorce proceedings because their husbands were unable to adequately support their families,” he stated, as quoted by Papua Selatan Pos news portal.

He also noted that wives frequently attribute their decisions to their husbands’ neglect of financial responsibilities linked to online gambling when presenting their cases in court.

The divorcing couples, typically aged between 23 and 50, often already have children, Muhammad Sobirin added.

The Indonesian government is intensifying efforts to address the escalating issue of online gambling, which engaged over 2.7 million participants nationwide and generated a turnover of 327 trillion rupiah (approximately US$20 billion) in 2023.

Since July 17, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has blocked 2.94 million online gambling sites.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto has been tasked with leading a task force to combat the problem.

Recent incidents have highlighted the widespread impact of online gambling, affecting not only low-income individuals but also reaching into law enforcement circles, including police and military personnel.

On April 27, a 31-year-old Indonesian naval officer tragically died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a tactical command post in Papua Mountains province.

His death is suspected to be linked to substantial debts amounting to 819 million rupiah (about US$57,400), accrued from online gambling.

-- BERNAMA

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