Last updated on April 19, 2022
As the lowest unit in the Indonesian paramilitary, hansip, short for pertahanan sipil or civil defense, are responsible for matters concerning security and order in areas ranging from neighborhoods to villages or sub districts.
Although the government has officially changed their name to Linmas (society protection), most Indonesians are still familiar with hansip and call the officers “Pak Hansip”.
Under current regulations, hansip, who are appointed by the local community and usually trained by the military, work under the supervision of the subdistrict administration in a system run by the Home Ministry. However, the reality is many hansip are looked after by their neighbourhoods.
Source: The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 04/20/2009.
Photography by Vita Datau