Violent muggings spark EJK talk in Indonesia

MEDAN, Indonesia: A spate of violent muggings by machete-wielding thieves in Indonesia has drawn coded calls from prominent politicians for them to be killed on sight by police, in comments condemned by rights groups as condoning extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

Last month, police in the northern Sumatran city of Medan shot dead a "begal" — a term used to describe a type of street thief known for their brutality — as part of what the force said was a bid to "eradicate" them.