Yusril Urges West Java Governor to Halt 'Begal' Bounty Contest, Citing Vigilante Risk
Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections (Menko Kumham Imipas), Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has expressed his disagreement with West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi’s decision to hold a contest offering cash prizes for the capture of street criminals, or ‘begal’. Yusril assessed that such a move risks triggering vigilante justice within the community and could lead to wrongful arrests that endanger the lives of innocent citizens.
“In my opinion, such a contest should not be held because it will provoke the public. Especially in difficult economic conditions, with a reward of Rp5 million or Rp10 million, people will be ready to arm themselves with machetes and clubs. I am concerned that people who are not begal will be caught, mistaken for criminals, and then mobbed,” Yusril stated in Jakarta on Friday (24/7).
Yusril explained that handling street crime is entirely the authority of law enforcement, specifically the Indonesian National Police (Polri), who can be assisted by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). He emphasised that while citizens are permitted to help apprehend criminals during an emergency, this must not lead to unilateral acts of violence.
“If there are no police around, and a victim of a mugging screams for help, prompting villagers to assist in the capture, that is permissible. But do not take the law into your own hands. A person must be tried in court before being punished; they cannot be punished independently, let alone tortured to death. That destroys our order as a law-abiding and civilised nation,” Yusril said.
He further stressed the importance of upholding the principle of presumption of innocence in handling any suspected criminal acts within society. He therefore urged law enforcement to optimise direct patrols and security measures rather than delegating the handling of street crime to public participation incentivised by rewards.
Previously, West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi announced a contest offering rewards to residents who successfully capture criminals such as muggers, snatchers, pickpockets, thieves, and robbers and hand them over alive to the police. The rewards ranged from Rp5 million to Rp50 million. In addition to the contest, Dedi stated that the provincial government continues to coordinate with the police to strengthen security in crime-prone areas, particularly in the Greater Bandung region.