Indonesian authorities should immediately rescind new policies to counter street crime that would result in the unlawful use of force by security personnel, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should strictly limit the military's role in law enforcement and adopt and enforce long promised reforms to the National Police Law to end police brutality and create a professional and humane police force.
These policies have raised concerns that Indonesian police will respond to robberies by motorcycle assailants - known as begal attackers - with excessive force, in violation of international human rights standards. On May 15, 2026, the police and military in Jakarta formed a joint task force to patrol to prevent robberies. In several areas including Makassar, South Sulawesi province; Lampung province on Sumatra island; and Bekasi in West Java province, the police have been ordered to shoot suspected robbers on sight.
"Indonesian leaders need to loudly and forcefully denounce any shoot-on-sight orders or other proposed excessive use of force," said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Lawmakers should promptly enact substantial reforms to police procedures that include proper oversight and accountability for any use of force."
Since the government crackdown began, security forces have arrestedhundreds of people, shot and killed two suspects each in Lampung and Binjai City, North Sumatra, and injured at least 50. Prabowo Pamungkas, director of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) in Bandar Lampung, said that since Lampung province's shoot-on-sight policy was announced, "[r]epressive practices appear to be intensifying."
Indonesian authorities expanded security operations after a series of muggings in Jakarta, including attacks targeting foreign tourists. Police Brigadier Arya Supena was shot and killed when he intervened to prevent the theft of a motorcycle in Bandar Lampung on May 9. Two men stole a motorcycle and stabbed a high school student in Binjai City on May 11. Residents have called for tighter patrols in crime-prone areas, better street lighting, and wider CCTV coverage.
Nova Eka Putri, 33, who has been campaigning against street violence through her influential social media handle Kak Shee, said such attacks can have lasting impact on victims. She told Human Rights Watch she still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after being violently attacked and robbed in 2014: "I often break down in tears without warning, and I am now afraid to leave the house at night."
Widespread demonstrations in August 2025, primarily over economic inequality, took place in over 100 cities and towns throughout the country. Young protesters sought a number of short-term and long-term government reforms, including of police procedures. In response, the government in November created the Commission for the Acceleration of Police Reform. Mahfud MD one of the commissioners, criticized the police for committing abuses similar to those of the military. The commission recommended strengthening the National Police Commission to ensure accountability, which President Prabowo Subianto approved. However, activists have criticized proposed revisions to the police law, contending that they would lead to more political interference in law enforcement.
The use of military personnel for law enforcement duties is of particular concern, Human Rights Watch said. The Prabowo government amended the National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI) Act, Law No. 34/2004, in March 2025, to enable active-duty military personnel to take civilian posts, including in the justice system and state-owned companies. Many people protested this amendment, saying that it is similar to the revival of dwi fungsi, the military's "dual function," which was central to the authoritarian military rule of President Soeharto from 1965 to 1998.
The government has been deploying military personnel against alleged robbers, raising human rights concerns, Human Rights Watch said. The head of the Army Information Service said that the army's involvement in handling robbery cases is part of a legitimate military operation that includes joint patrols and public education on preventing street crime. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has said that the government will create 750 Territorial Infantry Battalions in 518 regencies and cities across Indonesia, because "crime rates rise sharply in areas without TNI [army] troops."
However, Indonesia's army was responsible for an estimated 10,000 extrajudicial killings in the 1982-1985 Mystery Shootings (Penembakan Misterius, Petrus). In 2018, the police shot and killed at least 15 suspected criminals allegedly to ensure safety during the Asian Games in Jakarta.
The Indonesian authorities should ensure that any use of force in law enforcement situations is in accordance the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. The principles provide that law enforcement officers, including military personnel, should use nonviolent means before resorting to the use of force, and that force and firearms may be used only if other means remain ineffective.
Whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials are required to exercise restraint and to act in proportion to the seriousness of the offense and the legitimate objective to be achieved. Intentional lethal use of firearms is permitted only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life.
The authorities have an obligation to impartially investigate and discipline or prosecute law enforcement officers who use unnecessary or excessive force, Human Rights Watch said.
"The Indonesian government has responsibilities to ensure public safety, but that includes presumption of innocence, due process, and the rule of law," Ganguly said. "The government should not be deploying the military in civilian law enforcement and instead should support the police in conducting lawful investigations and appropriately prosecuting those responsible."
