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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amnesty International Indonesia has criticized the directive to shoot suspected street robbers, or locally known begal, on the spot. The order was issued in response to a recent surge in violent robberies.
Wirya Adiwena, the Deputy Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, warned that the directive could trigger severe human rights violations by police personnel. "Including extrajudicial killings," Wirya said in a written statement on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
According to Wirya, the shoot-on-sight instruction is not a solution to the rising robbery rates in communities. Furthermore, authorizing on-the-spot shootings undermines the formal legal processes that law enforcement is bound to uphold.
The directive also raises the risk of wrongful law enforcement actions by violating the fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence. "Justifying on-the-spot shootings is very risky," Wirya asserted.
Therefore, Wirya demanded that the arbitrary directive be immediately revoked. He also urged National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to admonish his subordinates and eliminate any opportunities for extrajudicial killings.
Earlier, Lampung Regional Police Chief Inspector General Helfi Assegaf had issued the shoot-on-sight order targeting street robbers. "I have ordered officers to shoot robbers on the spot," Helfi stated on Friday, May 15, 2026.
According to Helfi, most robbery cases in Lampung are not driven by economic hardship. Instead, perpetrators resort to theft to fund addictions to narcotics, psychotropic substances, and illicit drugs, rather than to secure a livelihood.
Helfi went so far as to challenge robbers to try and continue their criminal operations. He emphasized that he was entirely serious about his warning. "There is no tolerance for robbers," Helfi declared.
House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III Deputy Chair Ahmad Sahroni recently voiced his support for the shoot-on-sight directive. "All regional police forces must respond with decisive action, which means shooting on the spot," he stated at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Dian Rahma Fika contributed to this report.
Read: Indonesian Police Aim to Establish 1,500 Free Meal Kitchens by 2026
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