This book review discusses State of Fear by Joshua Barker (2024), which examines how policing and state power in postcolonial Indonesia operate through a mix of formal institutions, informal actors, and community practices in Bandung.

Abstract

The book argues that the state functions as a “phantom”, with limited direct control, relying on citizens, vigilantes, and local strongmen to enforce order. Fear emerges as a key mechanism of governance, rooted in colonial hygiene campaigns and later extended to crime and political control through surveillance, rumor, and everyday visibility. It shows how policing is organized territorially, incorporates informal actors such as former thugs, and uses fear as a strategy to sustain authority and extract resources, revealing the deep influence of colonial legacies on contemporary security practices.

Author

Hatib Kadir

Journal

Pacific Affairs; An International Review of Asia and the Pacific 99-1

26-02-2026

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