Indonesia Grapples With 'Institutionalized Extortion'

Indonesia Grapples With 'Institutionalized Extortion'

By: Ainur RohmahA viral video that circulated widely earlier this year has ignited public outrage and forced authorities into action over a surge of extortion cases by members of seemingly upright civil society organizations. The footage, recorded secretly, captured individuals claiming to be representatives of the Cilegon branch of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) demanding Rp5 trillion (US$308.3 million) in non-tendered …

A new wave of extortions against merchants who cross goods to sell from El Paso to Ciudad Juárez, through the various international bridges, would have provoked a struggle between the armed arms of the Juarez Cartel operating on this border. Through a Facebook post created on the morning of Sunday, May 25, a profile in the name of “Amado Carrillo Fuentes” called for the support of the users of the international crosses to identify the extortioni…