"A total of 300 Indonesians have joined this militant group. The government and all parties need to anticipate the possibility of a conflict," former head of the National Anti-terrorism Board (BNPT) Ansyaad Mbai informed the participants of a socialization program on terrorism reporting here, Thursday.
Among the several efforts that can be undertaken by the government and related parties are protecting mosques and other places of worship as well as campuses. Launching massive media campaigns and improving the development system in correctional institutions are also necessary along with facilitating Islamic community organizations. These preventive measures need to be adopted in accordance with the deradicalization blueprints prepared by the BNPT, he noted.
Mbai further pointed out that the number of Indonesians, who had fled the country to fight in Syria, continued to rise at an alarming rate and had become a serious threat to the country.
Terrorism is a global issue, which means it could still be prevalent despite the calm in Indonesia. The emergence of terrorist groups usually depends on the political state of a country.
"Terrorism really is a political agenda. Attack can always occur despite the country being in a state of spry as in the Thamrin bombings case, for instance," Mbai pointed out.
"The objective of terrorist attacks is to ultimately alter the governments policies to veer from democracy to an arrangement that is in tune with their vested interests," he affirmed.
Meanwhile, head of the Press Councils Research Field, Kamarullah, stated that the media was an effective instrument in preventing and resisting the spread of radical views in Indonesia.
"The press needs to cooperate with the BNPT and the Coordination Forum for Prevention of Terrorism to restrict the entry and spread of radical ideology in Indonesia," he noted during the same occasion.
Some 200 Indonesians were recently deported by the Turkish government during their attempt to enter Syria and join ISIS. Following their return to Indonesia, four were arrested by the authority and are in custody.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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