Not for the money, but from the emotional frustration. What's missing in this country is trust, from the president on down to the police. When something happens, people try to solve the problem - instantly. A group such as Policewatch would not have been allowed to operate under the paternalistic rule of former President Suharto, who was in power for 32 years. But some say the absence of that kind of authority has turned into freedom run amok.
Criminals have no fear of being caught, and police have no credibility.
President Abdurrahman Wahid's move toward regional autonomy, an attempt to placate separatists, is in some places being supplanted by a kind of anarchy. The recent ethnic cleansing by Dayaks of Madurese in Borneo, Dr. Bhakti says, is a prime example. Three months ago, the police force was separated from the military as part of the transition from decades of dictatorship. Now, average Indonesians have so little confidence in their local police that when officers do arrive on the scene of a crime, they are often beaten by bystanders. The police are still dependent on the military for back-up, but coordination between the two is poor.