Pre-colonial In the traditional state of the
Kingdom of Mataram, thuggery was very much part of rural
Java. The jago in pre-colonial times gained their legitimacy through their physical strength and sense of justice. In contrast, preman are notorious for their bullying behavior. Due to their image as thugs, the preman in rural Java were very much despised by the locals, while Jago were highly praised as heroes.
Colonial period Role in Batavian society and to colonial state class could not provide an active leadership, the peasantry looked up to the preman as their representatives and protectors from the extortions of the former.When the
Dutch first arrived, their colonization did little to disturb the position of the preman. However, in the 19th century, their role shifted with the advent of a bureaucratically organised government. The differences between the more bureaucratic and legalistic Dutch colonial state and the traditional agrarian
Java state that relies heavily on personal relation called for the need of intermediaries or power-brokers. These power-brokers were also referred to as premans who acted as agents between the ruling elite and the
peasantry. The preman hence became an integral part of the colonial power structure. In a society that is based almost entirely upon trade, labour bosses as well as preman enforcers were important to the economic life of the city. Such needs for the preman to act as intermediaries were further enforced by the
egalitarian nature of
Javanese society, which was reinforced by the mystical concept of power that prevented outright confrontation between the people in power and the peasantry. The preman were also seen as a threat to the Dutch authorities due to their status as being "magically invulnerable" against Dutch authority including bullets and sharp weapons. For the gangs, the PKI portrayed itself as an attractive political force that was capable of being a challenger against the Dutch. They were also in need of allies given the increasing repression of the Dutch against them. The Dutch used the Korps Marechaussee and the Veldpolitie (Rural Police) restricted the movements of the Jakarta's underworld. Hence, the jago leaders gained interest in the possibility of increasing their position through supporting possible challengers to the colonial system. With the declaration of independence and the involvement of the local bosses in the Republican cause, it had defined the enemy and made the distinction between the nationalist jagos and the opportunists. Local jagos like Darip and Macem acquired an image as nationalist gangsters and this allowed them to move into a position of greater power and responsibility. They were also more aware that their fate to stay in power was tied to the Republic. However, these local jagos found difficulties in understanding the nationalist leaders' calls for calm and restraint. Similarly, the young nationalists were also frustrated with the older leaders' caution and hesitancy to propagate direct confrontation. This caused them to go back into the kampungs of Jakarta to re-establish their contacts with the underworld. Through BARA (Barisan Rakyat, People's Brigade), they worked with the local jagos. The local jagos were informed of the aims of the revolution and they were encouraged to enrol their followers as a unit in BARA. Both parties appropriated each other for their own benefits as well as to cover up their weaknesses. The formation of the LRJR (
Lasykar Rakyat Jakarta Raya, People's Militia of Greater Jakarta) once again saw their collaboration with the local jagos like Haji Darip, Pak Macem and
Kyai Haji Nurali who were considered to be considerably patriotic. Local jago, Haji Darip, was considered more attractive as an ally for possessing a consignment of weapons from the
East Javanese leader, Dr
Moestopo. They ensured a kind of social order that is centered on the maintenance of a local territorial protection regime.
New Order In the
New Order period 1966-98, the jago became increasingly known as
preman. These new premans had a symbiotic relationship with the elements of the regime. Premans were also associated to political thuggery whereby several youth gangs and local thugs were employed by the military as a part of the bloody anti-communist purges. These premans were also known as
gali (
gabungan anak liar, gangs of wild children) who became an important part of the repressive strategies pursued by the state. These local premans were employed as provocateurs by figures such as
Ali Murtopo, the head of Special Operations (Operasi Khusus, Opsus) during the
Malari riots in Jakarta. Similar to their situation during the revolution, this period had brought profound benefits to the premans by making use of the disorder of the 'new order' to their advantage. Subsequently, these gangs were disbanded by General Soemitro as an effort to regulate them. This was because the gangs were seen as increasingly threatening the position of the state and its political actors. The period of
petrus, however, saw the execution of many premans and galis. The aftermath of petrus saw an increasing number of thugs and gangsters joining the different nationalist and youth organizations like
Pemuda Pancasila. This action was prompted out of fear as they realized the need for state back-up to ensure their survival.
Post-New Order Under
Habibie, as defense of the state was correlated with defense of
Islam, the groups acted as a state-sponsored bulwark against the demands of the student-based reform movement. The local preman organizations became institutionalized as part of the
democratic process whereby they started to form their own political parties. However, there was also a split in the new breed of preman organizations. While organizations such as the Patriot Party (Pemuda Pancasila) continue to portray themselves as defenders of national unity, the new breed organized themselves along post-Pancasila ethnic and religious lines. This new breed includes the
Betawi Brotherhood Forum and
Front Pembela Islam. Local preman groups preferred to be affiliated to bigger group such as the above that have already established a name for themselves. This allowed for them to "ride on the tails of other jagos' success". Being associated to larger groups also means better political affiliation as well as power. ==See also==