"Capturing A Thief With A Thief": Dutch East Indies Police Use Bandits And Experts To Enforce The Law

Dutch catchers (Source: geheugen.delpher.nl)

JAKARTA - The presence of a rogue or bandit has been considered an important part of the Javanese royal elite for a long time. Their services are needed. Sometimes as a bouncer and tax collector. Sometimes also as a negotiator and a spy. A series of benefits of the masters is known as the "catch a thief with a thief" strategy.

Each region has its own term in referring to criminal gangs. In addition to being good, the terms commonly used are benggolan, brandal, weri, blater, and so on. The mention is adjusted to the region, time, and function held by criminal gangs. However, what is more popular is the title of good.

In terminology, a champion is a strong person who inhabits an area, which is physically and spiritually above average. The strength of the rogue usually depends on the number of his men. The more subordinates, the greater the influence of a master.

The reasons for the appearance of a champion in public are not always the same. Some are influenced by greed, survive, until they appear as a protest to the ruling government. In carrying out their role, the champions have two main assets: social and political

Social capital involves physical, spiritual strength, as well as intimate knowledge about the state of the territory under his control. While their political capital is in the ability to use violence. They can also mediate between commoners and kings.

“While it is common practice for warriors to attack, raid, and pillage neighboring villages, they are often very protective of their own community and thus earn the loyalty of the people, although that loyalty is also based in part on fear of the possible consequences. obtained when loyalty is betrayed. The inevitable conclusion reached by the people is that power and crime are merciful,” said historian Henk Schulte Nordholt as quoted by Ian D.

Dutch catchers (Source: geheugen.delpher.nl)

The two capitals owned by the champions in fact attracted the attention of the ruling Javanese royal elite. Because, in past state practice, especially during the kingdom, power was always based on the charisma of the king. One of the efforts to maintain the charisma is perpetuated by nurturing the heroes. For the sake of strengthening power, he said.

The heroes who are invited to work together are often those who have been previously detained by the government for a criminal act. Those who want to cooperate are immediately given authority and work like being a village head.

Thus, they are burdened with the task of governing and pacifying the region. Gradually, the king's pet heroes became a good strategy to clash criminals with criminals. Or in other terms "catch a thief with a thief."

“Such a policy is based on one of the central principles of governance in Java: elect officials with regional responsibilities first on the basis of the influence they already have in society. It is said and the believers, by including the heads of such robbers, specifically their area is free from robbery and robbery disturbances," wrote Soemarsaid Moertono in the book State and Power in Java in the XVI-XIX Century (2017).

Followed by the Dutch colonial government

Dutch East Indies Police (Source: geheugen.delpher.nl)

The entry of the Dutch colonial era did not necessarily erase the practice of using experts for the benefit of power. The high crime rate -- robbery, theft, and arson -- often makes the Dutch angry. Dutch economic activity was hampered by the actions of the champions.

Even though there were efforts against the champions, the Dutch power was never enough. Moreover, the Dutch have not fully dominated the archipelago. After all, the turmoil of resistance still appears everywhere. As a strategy to deal with the Jagos, the Dutch tried to make contact with the gang of criminals. They collaborate.

Although not working with all the heroes, the use of the heroes to establish peace is felt to be quite effective. This is because the Netherlands itself has no intention of building state institutions that are oriented towards stabilizing security and prosperity in the colony. The quality of the Dutch East Indies police is still unsatisfactory.

Therefore, power is enforced with the merits of the masters. Which, the tactic is known as "catching a thief with a thief."

Dutch catchers (Source: geheugen.delpher.nl)

“In order to deal with banditry in this village, the Dutch very rarely use a legal-court-process approach, but the most dominant one in Madura is by means of (repressive) violence and through covert collaboration with the bandits themselves. The use of community within internal bandits itself is the method most often used, because the colonial state was not sufficiently able to absorb all the power of society to its roots in the countryside,” said Abdur Rozaki in the book Menabur Karisma, Reaping Power (2021).

In more detail, the Dutch domination over the archipelago, arguably only started in 1830. As a result, the tools of the Dutch bureaucracy only gained trust around 1900. Even then, the Dutch were never able to interfere with the life of the natives to their roots. Aware of the shortcomings, the Dutch tried to use informants and experts or the thief system to catch thieves. Through this extension, the masters have a strategic role.

The manifestation of the collaboration between the colonial government and bandits began to mushroom in the 19th century. Every village head at that time had a 'thief' (good guy) as an accomplice. They obeyed orders from the colonial government and village heads. The most felt advantage is that their village will not be visited by the garong. On the other hand, when the village head's pet hero commits a robbery, the village head is the first to get a share.

“Other reports say that perhaps the regents and pangreh praja figures of a district are protecting livestock thieves. The regent owns a lot of livestock, and apparently they buy cattle stolen from other areas. In this context, the bupati is not a 'thief' and his actions do not constitute a crime, because what they 'steal' is nothing but the result of a legitimate 'conquest war'. In the traditional concept, the line between crime and war or politics is blurred,” concluded Ong Hok Ham in his book Dari Problem Priayi to Nyi Blorong (2002).

* Read other information about NUSANTARA HISTORY or read other interesting articles from Detha Arya Tifada.

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