Denpasar. Bali Governor Wayan Koster firmly rejected the presence of a mass organization called GRIB Jaya in Bali, saying the island will not tolerate thugs disguised as community groups.

GRIB Jaya, a controversial group linked to former gangster Rosario "Hercules" Marshal, has recently established a presence in Bali, appointing Yosef Nahak as its local leader and forming a chapter in Tabanan. However, Governor Koster called it a “thuggish organization disguised as a civic group.”

“This is unacceptable. Their form may be a mass organization, but their behavior reflects thuggery,” Koster said during the inauguration of the Bale Paruman Adhyaksa and Bale Restorative Justice in Badung on Friday, as quoted by Antara.

He stressed that Badung, as the heart of Bali’s tourism, must be safeguarded from unlawful organizations. “We cannot allow public spaces to be undermined by rogue behavior masquerading as organization,” he said.

Koster said Bali does not need outside security organizations because the island already has a village-based security system that includes local personnel known as pecalang.

“If the internal security system is strong, there’s no need for any organization to bring hidden agendas under the guise of protecting Bali,” he said.

Bali’s provincial government is instead supporting the initiative led by the Bali Prosecutor’s Office through the establishment of Bale Paruman Adhyaksa, a customary law-based forum for conflict resolution.

Chief Prosecutor Ketut Sumedana said the Bale serves as a practical extension of customary law, helping resolve civil and social disputes peacefully. “This is not just about law, it’s about Bali’s future,” Koster added.

“There is no space for gangsters disguised as community organizations in Bali,” he added.

Civic organizations, commonly known as ormas, like GRIB have developed a reputation for coercive tactics in other parts of Indonesia. In West Java, two major electric vehicle (EV) projects involving China’s BYD and Vietnam’s VinFast reported disruptions and thug-like behavior by similar groups, including extortion attempts and access blockades when demands for money or jobs were not met.

Under Bali Governor Regulation No. 4 of 2019, traditional villages are granted legal authority over security in their respective regions, reinforcing the official role of pecalang as the island’s frontline peacekeepers. More than 1,500 traditional villages rely on over 20,000 pecalang personnel to ensure local order and uphold cultural norms.

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