Indonesia: Eyes on the Islamists
| Publisher | Jamestown Foundation |
| Author | Alexander Sehmer |
| Publication Date | 2 June 2017 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 11 |
| Cite as | Jamestown Foundation, Indonesia: Eyes on the Islamists, 2 June 2017, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 11, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/593e8f8b4.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Link to original story on Jamestown website
The Indonesian military has said it is beefing up defenses in parts of the country in anticipation of an expansion of Islamic State (IS) activities. That has included stepping up security in Ambon, Maluku and North Sulawesi, which lie south of the Philippines, in anticipation of terror attacks (Jakarta Post, May 31). The move has been prompted by events in the Philippines, were President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in the southern island of Mindanao in order to tackle a relatively small number of IS-linked militants.
It also comes after five people were killed and 10 others injured in two suicide blasts at a bus station in Kampung Melayu, in East Jakarta on May 24 (Jakarta Globe, May 25). The blasts hit a parade welcoming the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but three of the five killed were police officers. It was the most deadly attack to hit the capital since January last year when four people were killed and 25 wounded in an attack by gunmen and a suicide bomber (see Hot Issue, January 27, 2016). That attack was attributed to Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), a collection of Indonesian militant groups that have sworn allegiance to IS. Police believe the bus station attack could be linked to the same network (Jakarta Post, May 25).
In the wake of the bus station attack, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Indonesia's president, has hinted that the long-promised revision of the country's 2003 terrorism law could give the military a greater role in tackling terrorism (Jakarta Post, May 30). Military officials have received this suggestion relatively enthusiastically (Kompass, May 30). But it is hotly debated by liberals skeptical of giving the army greater powers and fearful of the potential fallout from a heavy-handed response to the problem.
Meanwhile, there are political concerns over the growing influence of Islamists. On May 8, the government moved to ban the Indonesian chapter of Hizbut Tahrir, accusing it of acting against state values, or rather Indonesia's foundational ideology of "Pancasila" (Jakarta Post, May 8). President Jokowi has since threatened to close down more organizations, and while he declined to name those that would be affected, they are likely to be Islamist (Tempo, May 31).
Hizbut Tahrir leaders were some of the loudest voices among a coalition of Islamists calling for the prosecution of Jakarta's Christian former governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, on blasphemy charges.
Last month, Ahok, an ally of President Jokowi, was jailed for two years (Jakarta Post, May 9). The sentence was condemned by international rights groups, but it highlights a trend over the last few years of growing religious intolerance in Indonesia. That is an area where greater military deployment cannot be effective, but one that needs to be addressed with similar drive if Islamist militancy is to be tackled.
