Breaking ISIS: Indonesia's Legal Position on the 'Foreign Terrorist Fighters' Threat
An Australian academic article, which although with a legal focus does provide a quick overview of the presence and activity of ISIS in Indonesia:http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.c...act_id=2627961
The Abstract:
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Indonesia, as signatory and co-sponsor of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2170, has committed to suppressing the flow of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), along with financing and other support, for Islamist extremist groups operating in Iraq and Syria – in particular the group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS). Varying levels of support for ISIS have been observed in Indonesia, including displays of ISIS paraphernalia, support rallies, swearing of allegiance to the caliphate and an uncertain number of individuals travelling to the region to fight. Recognising the risk posed by support for ISIS and returning FTFs, the Indonesian government announced a 'ban' on the terrorist organisation in 2014. However, doubt remains with regard to the legal and practical enforcement of the 'ban' by Indonesian police and actions they are able to take against ISIS's Indonesian supporters. While there have been calls for the government to enact a new law or revise existing laws to specifically address ISIS and its supporters in Indonesia, it is uncertain if or when such a law could be finalised and passed. Accordingly, this article examines the legal position as it exists under current Indonesian law with respect to preventing and punishing supporters of ISIS.
Countering the (Re-) Production of Militancy in Indonesia: between Coercion and Persu
An article in the free online journal Perspectives on Terrorism 'Countering the (Re-) Production of Militancy in Indonesia: between Coercion and Persuasion' by Paul Carnegie.
The Abstract:
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In the early 2000s, Indonesia witnessed a proliferation of Islamist paramilitary groups and terror activity in the wake of Suharto’s downfall. Having said this, over the years since Suharto’s downfall, the dire threat predictions have largely failed to materialize at least strategically. This outcome raises some interesting questions about the ways in which Indonesian policy responded to the security threat posed by Islamist militancy. Drawing on Temby’s thesis about Darul Islam and Negara Islam Indonesia and combining this with Colombijn and Lindblad’s concept of ‘reservoirs of violence’, the following article argues that countering the conditioning factors underlying militancy and the legacy of different ‘imagined de-colonizations’ is critical for degrading militant threats (especially Islamist ones) in Indonesia. Persistent and excessive punitive action by the state is counter-productive in the long run. It runs too high a risk of antagonizing and further polarizing oppositional segments of the population. That in turn perpetuates a ‘ghettoized’ sense of enmity and alienation amongst them towards the state and wider society. By situating localized responses to the problem in historical context, the following underscores the importance of preventative persuasion measures for limiting the reproduction of militancy in Indonesia.
Link:http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/...ticle/view/458
Archipelago Islam: Indonesia's way to counter extremism
An excellent BBC report on Indonesia the world's most populous Muslim nation, which includes how extremism is there knawing away:http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35055487
A key passage:
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Archipelago Islam, or Islam Nusantara as it's known locally, was built over the centuries on Islam that arrived from several other parts of the world and was initially intertwined with Hinduism and ancient Javanese religions. In a large and diverse country stretching over 3,000 miles from east to west and composed of more than 17,000 islands, a less tolerant and inclusive interpretation of the Muslim faith may have struggled to survive. It came to be based on five principles - social justice; a just and civilised humanity; belief in one God; Indonesian unity; government by the will and consent of the people.
There is a main thread on Indonesia, mainly on terrorism:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...read.php?t=737
We're back - terror attack in Jakarta
A developing situation after a bomb and gun attack, possibly mobile. Six dead, including three police officers.
Rolling news coverage:http://www.theguardian.com/world/liv...rolling-report and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-35309116
Lessons to learn from Indonesia
Hat tip to Atlantic magazine for this article, which is a review of a book on far wider issues. So back to Indonesia:
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The big truth is that Indonesia has come close to effectively eliminating the threat of extremist violence
(He ends with) The big truth is that Indonesia has come close to effectively eliminating the threat of extremist violence,” Tepperman writes. An alternative truth is that Indonesia, through complicated and controversial means, has, for the moment, significantly reduced the threat of extremist violence from terrorists. It’s certainly an achievement, but it’s one that lies somewhere between a stopgap and a solution.
Link:http://www.theatlantic.com/internati...orism/500951/?
Extremists still flourishing in Indonesia’s prisons
A WaPo article and the theme is familiar to observers:
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Indonesia’s overcrowded prisons are ill-equipped to deal with Islamic militant inmates, hampering efforts to prevent the spread of violent radicalism in institutions that have become known as jihadist breeding grounds, a study has found.
Link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/study-extremists-still-flourishing-in-indonesias-prisons/2018/02/09/1cc7b94a-0d5d-11e8-998c-96deb18cca19_story.html?
Indonesia’s Homegrown Militants Re-emerge
A short overview article. A sample passage:
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The attack exposed the lingering threat from homegrown militants in a country that has largely avoided the scourge of Islamist terrorism since the collapse of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in the late 2000s. In the years since, several newly-formed groups along with JI’s offshoots have remained active beneath the radar, posing only a latent threat to security in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
Link:https://www.asiasentinel.com/society...nts-re-emerge/