Pro-Government Militias
Sharia Police / Wilayatul Hisbah (Indonesia)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 343 |
| Country: | Indonesia |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 2004 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | As part of the autonomy deal (2001) to stop the secession war, Aceh was given the right to apply Sharia Law in full in Aceh. The Sharia Police, or Wilayatul Hisbah, emerged, paid by the Aceh government and acting as a parallel police force. It is armed with canes, which it uses to distribute 'justice'. After the autonomy deal, Aceh was allowed to have its own Sharia Police. The group was officially created by Governor’s decree 1/2004 – the same year the first activity is reported. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | Still active in 2007 |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | subnational government |
| Government Link(s): | sub-national government |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | unclear |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | religious |
| Primary Membership: | religious |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Aceh |
| Force Strength: | [1500, 6300] |
| Target(s): | civilians |
| Purpose(s): | intimidation of civilians; anti crime |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The group is also known as Wilayatul Hisbah (“Control Team”). |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | As the name suggests, the group was intended to implement Sharia law in the province of Aceh, acting as a police force. It covered issues such as alcohol consumption, gambling, clothing and relationships. This conservative application of law was meant to pursue the overarching aim of pacifying the Acehnese. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The group arrested civilians based on violations of Sharia law and caned/beat people in case of these violations. Women were targeted in particular and sometimes raped. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | beating; sexual violence |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | The group’s manner of operating and overall aim suggests religious conviction as a reason to join. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | In 2004 there were only 70 members, a number which reportedly grew to 6,300 in August 2010. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Members were armed with canes. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group was active in Aceh under the authority of the provincial and local governments and was authorized to implement police duties. Mazuki Abdullad was the head of Aceh’s force. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.