Govt preparing blueprint for improved de-radicalisation programmes by Fardah

     Jakarta, Sept 12, 2012 (ANTARA News) - On Tuesday, thousands of US citizens commemorated the 11th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center in New York in 2001.
     On October 12 this year, a number of Indonesians and Australians will commemorate the victims of the first Bali bombing that occurred on the same date 10 years ago in Kuta, a town popular with tourists on the Indonesian island of Bali.

     Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attack in which more than 200 people, including 88 Australians and seven Americans, were killed, Indonesian security authorities have made preparations to ensure security at the venue of the event. The presence of Indonesian Defence forces at the village level in Bali has also been ramped up.
     The blasts destroyed two nightclubs in Kuta. At the time, the Indonesian police chief called the attack "the worst act of terrorism in the country`s history".
     "Both the Australian government and the [commemoration event] organizers have contacted us and the police. We will jointly work to ensure security at the venue of the event," Kopassus Commander Major General Wisnu Bawa Tenaya said in Denpasar, Bali, on Tuesday.

He called on Balinese people to immediately report to the police if they found any suspicious activity or object in their neighbourhoods.

This year, the commemoration ceremony is scheduled to be held in Jimbaran and will be attended by the victims` families from within the country and abroad.

Despite the deaths of several top terrorists such as Osama bin Laden and Nurdin M Top, terrorist activities continue, the latest being the series of terror incidents in Indonesia over the past weeks.

Recently, a bomb allegedly prepared for a terrorist attack, incidentally exploded at a house in Depok, West Java. Three people sustained injuries from the explosion and the police arrested several suspects.

On September 1, the police shot dead two alleged terrorists during a raid in Solo, Central Java, who were suspected of being involved with terrorist network.

After the raid, National Police chief General Timur Pradopo told the press that the two were identified by their initials as F (10) and M (19). Another suspect, identified as B, was arrested in Gondangrejo, Karanganyar district, Central Java.

During the encounter, Second Brigadier Suherman, a member of anti-terror police unit Densus 88, was killed.

Timur said the two alleged terrorists killed were suspected of being involved in a shooting incident at a police post in Gemblegan, on August 17. The suspects were also linked to the grenade attack on a police post in Gladak on August 8 and the shooting death of a police officer at a police post in Singosaren on August 30. Gemblegan, Gladak and Singosaren are all in Solo, Central Java.

According to police reports, the Densus 88 members shot at the two suspects when they resisted arrest. Pradopo noted that the police confiscated a pistol, three magazines, 43 9mm bullets, a handphone and documents from the suspects.

"We have questioned several witnesses in connection with the terror action," he said.

Timur added that the suspects collected guns smuggled into the country from the Philippines.

They probably wanted to take revenge on the police, who have been worked hard to prevent terrorists from operating freely, he explained.

On September 10, the Ambon Police Special Detachment (Densus 88) team arrested four people suspected of being members of terrorist networks in the Maluku capital.

The four were captured during a night raid on September 9 at the house of one of the suspects, who was later identified as Imran, in Batu Merah sub-district.

In the course of the raid, Densus 88 found firearms of the SS-1 and MK-3 types along with a hand grenade at the house.

In order to curb religious radicalism following a recent spike in terror-related incidents, the government has been launching a number of de-radicalisation programmes.

In an effort to improve the effectiveness of such programmes, Vice President Boediono recently chaired a meeting titled National Program to Counter Radical Terrorism in Jakarta.

Among those present at the meeting were Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Adm. Agus Suhartono, National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali, Social Services Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufrie, National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Ansyaad Mbai and Presidential Working Unit for the Supervision and Management of Development (UKP4) head Kuntoro Mangkusubroto.

The programmes launched by individual institutions have been ineffective because of lack of coordination among institutions, Boediono said.

Therefore, to overcome such shortcomings, the government has made several plans that will be implemented next year.

"However, let me say again that these national programmes must not create an impression that the government wants to tighten its control over the public," the vice president stated.

"The implementation of these programmes should be in a such way that every party feels comfortable," he added.

However, according to media reports, one of the programmes involves mandatory certification and registration of all clerics in the country. The matter has become controversial and has been criticised by many Muslim figures.

"This de-radicalisation blueprint will be comprehensive and will really serve the purpose," Boediono said at the meeting.

National Anti-Terror Agency (BNPT) head Ansyaad Mbai, who has been tasked with the implementation of the controversial initiative, stated that the government was committed to fight terrorism.

Mbai said his office would engage with 24 government institutions, religious organizations, higher-learning institutions, and NGOs during the implementation of the programme.

The ministries, institutions and NGOs will include the religious affairs ministry, the education ministry, the sports and youth affairs ministry, the social affairs ministry, TNI, the National Police, the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, the country`s largest Muslim organization Nahdhlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia`s second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, and Lazuardi Biru, he added.

The government has proposed to involve civilians such as ulemas (Muslim scholars) and NGO activists during the implementation of the de-radicalisation programmes.

"In order to make the de-radicalisation programs effective, we should reach out to every aspect of community life. The National Agency for Counter Terrorism (BNPT), of course, cannot work alone, and therefore it must involve civilians to tackle radicalism and terrorism," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said.

"The programmes must be expanded and must involve all concerned ministries and institutions," he added.

"We can use the ministries` and institutions` programmes by providing content that could change peoples` mindsets so they would not easily commit violence because of radical teachings," the minister stated.

"The programmes must not attach a stigma to any particular religion, because radicalism can happen in any religion," he added.

"I will coordinate with the ministers of finance and national development planning for possible funding allocations," Djoko said.

After final stage of planning, the programmes will be presented before President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for his approval so they can then be implemented in 2013.

The programmes would also focus on poverty alleviation. Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono, who attended the meeting, said the programmes would address links between terrorism and poverty.

"The root of terrorism is welfare. We need to address this rather than only using security approaches," he added.(*)

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