Indonesian cops in trouble after firing guns to enliven party

There were not enough firecrackers at a traditional ceremony in Lampung, Indonesia, so three men took matters into their own hands.

They pulled out their guns and fired shots into the air.

Despite the loud cracks, other people attending the ceremony did not appear to be shocked by the gunshots, a video clip circulating on social media showed.

Several children even scampered to pick up bullet casings from the ground beside a white tent.

Twitter user WagimanDeep posted the clip on Sept 19 and wrote, "I thought it was a wedding party in Iraq, I'm surprised (that this took place in Indonesia)."

Other users who watched the clip questioned whether the men were authorised or trained to discharge the firearms.

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The trio was later revealed to be local policemen.

According to Tribunnews, the incident took place at a three-day Begawi ceremony in Lampung on Sept 15.

The police said that the men have been taken in for questioning and they have violated regulations regarding the use of official weapons, which were reported to be revolvers and an assault rifle.

There were no casualties in the incident, the police added.

Netizens' concerns about the video clip are not unfounded, as several people lost their lives and became injured when hit by stray bullets from trigger-happy guests.

'Happy gunfire' — the firing of guns into the sky —is practised mainly in Arab and Middle Eastern countries during celebratory events such as weddings.

Although many countries have outlawed the dangerous tradition, the warnings often go unheeded.

lamminlee@asiaone.com