Lampung Police Chief's Response: Shooting on the Spot Is Not a Solution to the Surge in Mugging

Jakarta, Kompas.com – Deputy Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Wirya Adiwena, said that shooting on the spot to address the crime of street robbery is not a solution to the rising crime. ‘Robbery is a serious crime that often claims the lives of members of the public and not least police officers. However, the instruction to shoot on the spot is not a solution to the spread of mugging in society,’ Wirya said in a statement on Thursday, 21 May 2026. He made the remarks in response to Lampung Police Chief, Inspector General Helfi Assegaf, who asked his ranks to shoot on the spot the perpetrators of mugging. ‘Shooting on the spot not only violates the right to life but also breaks the due process that police should carry out in accordance with the principles of a fair trial,’ he said. Wirya emphasised that the instruction to shoot on the spot by the Lampung Police Chief should not be seen as an act of revenge for the death of Lampung Police personnel Arya Supena. ‘The order to shoot on the spot is a form of killing legitimised outside the legal process,’ he added. According to Pigai, the act of shooting to death without due process contravenes the principles of human rights. ‘I do not permit people to be shot without clear procedures and due process. A mugger should not be shot directly on the spot. The words ’shoot directly on the spot’ are contrary in principle to human rights,’ Pigai said in Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday (20 May 2026).