Indonesia's West Java Bounty Contest to Capture Robbers Sparks Legal Debate

Governor Dedi Mulyadi of West Java announced a bounty competition offering a reward of up to tens of millions of rupiah for citizens who capture street robbers (begal). Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto stressed that local leaders must keep the initiative within the legal corridor and coordinate closely with police and the judiciary. Law and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra warned that the scheme is not simple, emphasizing that suspects must be arrested alive, tried fairly in court and that any use of force beyond self‑defence would violate human‑rights standards. He called for increased police patrols and community education while insisting that criminal proceedings remain the exclusive domain of the courts.