Indonesian authorities will involve criminal groups in the fight against the spread of coronavirus infection. Writes about this The Straits Times.
The deputy head of the National Police, General Gatot Eddy Pramono, said that law enforcement agencies took such a step due to a shortage of police and military personnel. In his opinion, criminals will help “discipline” the population: for example, to ensure that people wear masks and maintain social distance. At the same time, the police will monitor their work so that members of the groups do not abuse their duties and do not violate human rights.
“We don't recruit gang members, we just recruit them [for certain tasks]. This is an informal part of raising public awareness, but it does not necessarily mean that [the gangs] will enforce the law, ”Pramono said.
Some politicians met the police proposal with strong opposition. For example, in Indonesia, they fear that such an initiative may be “counterproductive”: the population often does not trust the gangs, which is why they may be wary of even their useful initiatives.
On September 8, it was reported that in the Indonesian city of Probolingo, local authorities and volunteers forced the violators of the mask regime to lie in hearses and coffins. While the perpetrators sat in a hearse or coffins, activists reminded of those who had already died from the coronavirus.
According to the latest data, there are 221.5 thousand people infected with coronavirus in Indonesia. 8.8 thousand people died from complications caused by COVID-19.
