While some still believe that the man identified as MA, who was beaten and burned alive by an angry mob after being accused of stealing mosque speakers in Bekasi, was innocent of the crime he was accused of, his death remains shocking and tragic regardless of whether or not he was guilty.
But MA’s death may not have been entirely in vain. His brutal murder, which highlights the propensity for violence and mob vigilantism in Indonesia, seems to at least be serving as a cautionary tale for others who would take the law into their own hands.
Last week, in the subdistrict of Sumberejo, Lampung, a caretaker at a local mosque noticed that a stove and a gas canister were missing from the mosque’s kitchen on Friday morning. Later that day, two men came to the mosque to offer to sell a stove and a gas canister, which were identical to the ones that the mosque was missing.
With the help of locals, the mosque’s caretaker apprehended the suspected thieves. Instead of inflicting violence as punishment against the thieves, the caretaker and the locals turned them into the local police.
“In Bekasi a man was accused of stealing speakers and was burned alive by a mob until he died. Praise God, the people of Sumberejo are not like that. We express our gratitude to the public who did not take it upon themselves to be vigilantes,” said Sumberejo Police Chief Samsari, as quoted by Kumparan today.
It’s not yet known what charges the suspects might face.
This is the second reported instance of suspected thieves in Indonesia being brought to the police after being caught by a mob since MA’s death. During another incident from last week, a young man in Jakarta might have become a victim of a brutal mob violence if it wasn’t for the actions of a brave few who reminded the mob not to repeat what happened happened to MA and persuaded them to turn the suspect over to the police instead.
While horrific cases of mob violence occur with alarming regularity in Indonesia, the intense interest in MA’s case has led the police to do something they have rarely done in past cases of mob killings – investigate and arrest those suspected of being involved in his murder (five have been arrested so far). Perhaps the threat of prosecution is enough to deter future mob violence in Indonesia.
