House backs 'de-radicalization'

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Headline News
February 27, 2007

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives on Monday threw its weight behind a government "de-radicalization campaign" aimed at stopping the establishment of hard-line religious groups and countering terrorism.

In a hearing with Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo A.S. here, members of the House's defense, political and foreign affairs commission also said the government should make a concerted effort to deal with poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment, which they said contributed to terrorism and violence in the name of religion.

Also attending the hearing were Home Minister M. Ma'ruf, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi, Indonesian Military Commander Air Chief Marshall Djoko Suyanto, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto and National Intelligence Agency head Syamsir Siregar.

"De-radicalization is urgently needed to improve the people's awareness of terrorism and ensure an understanding of religion and their teachings. The problem is not religions themselves but some of the people who claim to be adherents. Such a move will help the government win full support from the people to counter terrorism," the chairman of the House commission, Theo Sambuaga, said at the conclusion of the rare meeting with the ministers and security authorities.

During the hearing, the commission questioned what it called the "repressive approach" employed by the police in the pursuit of 29 wanted radicals in Poso, Central Sulawesi. It also asked about the progress in the hunt for fugitive Malaysian bombmaker Noordin M. Top, the prosecution of terrorist suspects and the possible execution of five terrorists sentenced to death for their involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Many legislators also expressed their concern over a recent rise in air and sea accidents, and questioned whether it was possible terrorist attacks were behind any of the accidents. They said many people were now afraid to take planes, ferries or trains.

"From a recent tour of several provinces, we found many people have suspicions that terrorism is behind the increasing number of sea and air accidents. We got the impression that the government is seen as less than professional in managing the transportation sector and investigating accidents," Andreas Parera of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said.

Other legislators asked the government to take concrete measures to lift more people out of poverty and give them jobs, saying the poor and disenfranchised were more at risk of being exploited by terrorists. They pointed out that most of the young people recruited by Noordin M. Top and slain terrorist mastermind Azahari were from poor families.

"Poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment, injustice and the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities are real threats to our internal security," Happy Bone Zulkarnain of the Golkar Party said.

The antiterror desk chief at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Ansyaad Mbai, said the government has enhanced cooperation with religious leaders, clerics and communal leaders to prevent the misuse of religious teaching to justify terrorist attacks.

He said the government has won support for the campaign from the two largest Muslim organizations in the country, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah.

Meanwhile, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto defended the police's handling of terrorist suspects, including the wanted radicals in Poso. He said the police had procedures in place to ensure the protection of human rights.