"We are working together with other institutions and the ministry to provide comprehensive services (to former inmates and children)," the ministry's Secretary of Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation, Salahuddin Yahya, stated while elaborating on the ministry's deradicalization approach, as per the statement on Friday.
He said the ministry's Directorate of Social Rehabilitation of Disaster Victims and Emergency and Directorate of Social Rehabilitation of Children is tasked with rehabilitating former terror inmates and their families as well as children exposed to radicalism.
Meanwhile, the ministry's acting Director of Social Rehabilitation of Disaster Victims and Emergency and Director of Social Rehabilitation of Children, Kanya Eka Santi, remarked that the ministry utilized residential-, familial-, and community-based approaches to rehabilitate former terror inmates.
"We provide (entrepreneurship) training, such as car wash, car repair shop, or other businesses. While we provide the initial capital, they could start their business or farm. We have provided support for 30 former terrorism inmates in Central Sulawesi to develop an independent business," Santi revealed.
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The ministry has also set up a residential-based social rehabilitation centre to handle individuals with low to moderate levels of radicalism, such as inmates deported from foreign countries, returnees from Syria, and those arrested by the Special Detachment 88 overseas, she remarked.
The ministry's acting director said that apart from providing basic and educational support for children, the ministry also strives to develop and nurture nationalism among the children to diminish the influence of radicalism in their minds.
Santi emphasized that the government continues to encourage former terror inmates to reaffirm their loyalty to Indonesia and share their positive experiences while undergoing deradicalization programs with other terror inmates and children exposed to radicalism.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyz minister Baetov said that the agenda of his visit to Indonesia is to study new approaches that his country could undertake to address terrorism and radicalism issues, particularly on the rehabilitation approach.
"We are facing new challenges. Hence, we need to understand newer approaches and collaborate with other countries to seek solutions. We express our gratitude to Indonesia for accepting us, and we hope to be able to exchange our experience," Baetov stated.
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Translator: Devi Nindy Sari R, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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