Asia
Indonesia.
Indonesia's new Criminal Code (Law 1 of 2023) contains a provision punishing a person who witnesses someone in mortal danger and gives no help that could be given without risk. Zakat is managed through a government body, BAZNAS, created under Law 23 of 2011, and a ministry page presents gotong royong (mutual cooperation) as an implicit value of Pancasila. A 2023 Health Law exempts medical personnel who provide emergency life-saving care from compensation claims.
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
LimitedArticle 432 of Law 1 of 2023 (the new Criminal Code, as transcribed on Wikisource) punishes anyone who, on witnessing a person facing mortal danger, gives no help that could be given without danger to themselves or others, but only if that person dies; the penalty is up to 6 months in prison or a category II fine. The older Code's Article 531 was similar (up to three months or a fine) and, per the quoted wording, also applied only if the person needing help died.
Are people who help protected?
LimitedLaw 17 of 2023 on Health is described in a 2025 journal article as exempting medical personnel and health workers who give life-saving or disability-preventing care in emergencies and disasters from compensation claims (Article 165(1)). No statute giving general good-faith protection to lay bystanders was found, and the same article says implementation of protections for health workers is weak.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Giving in Indonesia runs through the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), national volunteer platforms and many local community and religious groups. Check that any collection drive has the required permit before you give.
Check a charity before you give
The Ministry of Law's legal entity system, where foundations (yayasan) and associations are registered; there is no single public charity rating, so use it to confirm that a group exists.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- Fake donation drives spread after disasters, so give through PMI, BNPB-listed channels or a group you can confirm exists. Collecting money from the public generally needs a government permit under Indonesian rules, so ask a group for its permit and registration.
- Foreign visitors should check immigration and sponsorship rules before doing volunteer work, since visitor visas usually do not allow work, and larger foreign funding of local groups is regulated.
This list covers only a few national and well-known channels and does not rank charities or cover every local group. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
Indonesia's Criminal Code provision on failing to help is limited to cases where the person in danger dies, and the older text was worded the same way (Article 531, per the Hukumonline quotation).
What this does not mean
Indonesian texts were read in Indonesian; the English renderings here are this guide's own, and the Article 432 text came from a Wikisource transcription of the official law because the official database (peraturan.bpk.go.id) blocked automated access, so check it before relying on it. Law 9 of 1961 (collection of money or goods) could not be fetched and is not described, and the Code's commencement date was not verified from an official page. Not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.