Recently we’ve seen several instances of public shaming used as a punishment for pickpockets on public transport, like a recent incident in which two men were forced to wear a sign saying “I am a thief” at a Transjakarta bus station.
Judging by the comments on that story, there is quite a bit of debate over whether that is an appropriate form of punishment for such crimes, with some saying it is inhumane while others said that not only was it justified, it should be used to punish much bigger crimes such as corruption.
Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo agrees with the latter sentiment, saying that he thinks the imposition of “social sanctions” on corruptors is a good idea since prison sentences were clearly not enough to deter them.
“To be sure, if [social sanctions] were applied, it would be very good. At least we should make them ashamed. Who would not be embarrassed to have to sweep the streets or clean public toilets in front of a crowd, labelled as a corruptor?” Prasetyo said on Monday as quoted by Kompas.
The attorney general said such punishments would cause others to think twice before engaging in corruption.
It is more than just talk. A proposal to give courts the ability to hand down such punishments has been submitted to the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the Presidential Secretariat and the Office of the Presidential Staff for study and evaluation.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has also recently been pushing for corruptors to face additional penalties meant to pay for the intangible “social costs” of their crimes not only as a deterrent but also as a means of recovering losses to the state or the economy as a result of corruption, such as losses to future productivity.
