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Indonesia reportedly gunned down 31 people to reduce street crime ahead of the Asian Games
Indonesian police have been on an eight-month mission to beat crime in the run up to the 2018 Asian Games, which started on Friday.
This includes killing dozens of petty criminals, Amnesty International said.
31 killings happened in the host cities of Jakarta and South Sumatra alone.
The chief of police is open about the treatment of suspected criminals – saying if they fight back, his guys will just shoot them.
The country is hosting the Asian Games until September 2, which is the second largest sporting event after the Olympics.
Police in Indonesia have been accused of killing 31 people in a brutal push to cut down on street crime ahead of the Asian Games.
Amnesty International said that officers in the host cities of Jakarta and South Sumatra had shot dead 31 people during months of operations tied to the athletics competition.
They said that 41 people had also been shot in the legs in a public statement, which calls on Indonesian and international authorities to take action.
The statement said the police activity was "explicitly" tied to preparation for the games.
AP Images
Amnesty's description is consistent with statements from Indonesia authorities.
In the past police chief General Tito Karnavian said he told his officers "not to hesitate shooting drug dealers who resist arrest."
"From practice in the field, we see that when we shoot at drug dealers they go away," referring to the drug war initiated by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, The Jakara Post reported.
Around 12,000 athletes will take part in the 18th Asian Games, which has its first event on August 18. It is the largest international competition after the Olympics
Business Insider has attempted to contact the Indonesia National Police about the claims.
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