In the movie Borderless Fog, one character really stands out: Police Inspector Thomas from the Borneo Island police department. He’s the guy digging into the serial murders happening along the Indonesia-Malaysia border. How did he contribute to the investigation, what was his motive, and what eventually happened to him? This article will delve into his character to provide a closer look.
Why did Thomas work for Panca?
In the small village on Borneo Island, right on the border of Indonesia and Malaysia, there was a lot of tension and conflict between the Dayaks, Chinese, and Malaysians. Violence was common, and sadly, many people ended up getting hurt or even trafficked. The Dayaks suffered the most by facing brutal treatment and extortion, while their cries for help often went unheard because the police themselves were involved in these crimes. Among the Dayaks, there was a guy named Thomas who decided to join the police force. He kept his Dayak heritage a secret and tried to use his position to help his people and fight against the injustice they were facing. From the start, it was clear that Thomas had good intentions and wanted to make things better for his community. However, things didn’t go as planned. His superior, Panca, who was deeply involved in the corruption, saw Thomas as a threat. Panca realized that, being a Dayak, Thomas was at a disadvantage and couldn’t really stand up to the corruption on his own. To keep him quiet, Panca bribed Thomas by offering him money to stay silent and cover up the corruption. Thomas wanted to stand up against this, but seeing the headless bodies of fellow activists scared him. He felt helpless and powerless. Eventually, the fear and the bribe led him to turn a blind eye and work under Panca rather than fight the corruption he had hoped to confront.
Why did Thomas decide to help Sanja?
Even though Thomas had ended up working for Panca, his inner Dayak activist never fully disappeared. When he saw Sanja as someone genuinely trying to make a difference, it gave him hope for the first time in a long while that he could trust someone again. Thomas realized that Sanja wasn’t the first to suffer in this fight against corruption. When they discovered the body of Juwing, a Dayak activist who had been brutally killed, Thomas knew he had to make Sanja understand that this was part of a pattern. Juwing wasn’t alone—there was also Asraf, a guerrilla soldier who had gone missing and whose body was later found decapitated, just like Juwing. Asraf had tried to stand up to the corruption too. Seeing so many of his people, including those who had tried to fight back, murdered like this deeply hurt Thomas. The fact that he couldn’t do anything about it, even as a police officer, was unbearable for him. So, Thomas secretly placed a report about Asraf’s disappearance on Sanja’s windshield as he hoped she would see that all these murders were connected and linked to the crime lord, Mr. Agam. When Panca ordered Thomas to find Sanja and stop her from finding out too much, Thomas pretended to follow Panca’s orders but actually helped Sanja in secret. He admired Sanja’s vulnerability and honesty about her past mistakes and saw her as someone who, like him, was trying to do what was right. When Panca even managed to trap Sanja in a factory, Thomas followed her trail and helped her escape, completely disregarding Panca’s orders. He felt a deep connection with her and was determined to support her fight against the corruption they both hated.
Why did Thomas want to kill Panca?
Thomas reached a breaking point when Panca interfered with Sanja’s case and told her she was no longer needed. It hit him hard—if he stayed silent, the corruption would continue unchecked, and no one would care, he realized that. The situation was getting worse: more Dayak people were dying, and girls from their community were being trafficked in increasing numbers. Thomas knew he had to take a stand for justice, no matter the cost. So, Thomas decided it was time to confront Panca. He knew Panca had figured out that Thomas was onto him and might try to fight back. Panca even came prepared with a gun. But Thomas was one step ahead. He had set up a hidden camera in his car to record Panca’s confession about his involvement in the corruption. Before Panca could do anything, Thomas managed to handcuff him and lock him up. He was determined to capture everything on tape and use it as evidence to expose Panca. His goal was to present this proof to the higher authorities and get rid of corrupt officers like Panca once and for all.
The problem was, who could stand up against corrupt officers like Panca? Even though Thomas had managed to disarm Panca and save himself, things didn’t turn out as hoped. When Panca found out that Sanja and Silas had managed to capture Agam, he tried to play the hero by calling the authorities and pretending he was the one saving the community by arresting the criminal. However, when Thomas and Panca faced off in the car, things took a tragic turn. Panca, not wasting any time, shot Thomas. Despite Thomas’s struggle to fight back, it was too late. But here’s the thing: even though Thomas had taken money from Panca to stay quiet, he never used it for himself. He kept it hidden and didn’t let it corrupt him. Despite being a cop, the Dayak community appreciated Thomas for his efforts. They knew he had fought hard for justice, and even though they were not fond of cops in general, they respected Thomas for his courage and commitment to their cause.
