Local Government and Terrorist Threat

Minister of Home Affairs (Minister of Home Affairs) Tjahjo Kumolo called on all levels of local government to monitor Indonesian nationals (WNI) in his territory who are known to have returned from Syria. This request is a follow-up to the hope of the Head of the National Agency for Combating Terrorism (BNPT) of Komjen Polisi Suhardi Alius to the local government to help optimize the prevention of acts of terrorism in the region.

“In relation to the Head of BNPT regarding the request to the regional head to conduct guidance on Indonesian citizens from Syria, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Ministry of Home Affairs) has made radiogram three times and sent it to the regents and mayors,” said Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo in Jakarta This long.

According to him, in an official written message sent via radio, Kemendagri has asked the regional head and the ranks of the Regional Government, namely the Unity of Nations and Politics (Kesbangpol) to monitor and collect data on their new citizens from the country that became the headquarters of the radical group ISIS.

In addition, the Minister of Home Affairs also advised the local government to coordinate the request for such supervision in the district-level coordination forum (Forkopimda, -red) at the district and city level.

Meanwhile, Head of BNPT Suhardi Alius said that until now it recorded sdah there are hundreds of citizens who returned from Syria, which has spread across Indonesia. Related to that, Suhardi said that citizen concerned need to follow the deradicalization program first before returning to their respective residence.

The threat of terror is still strong

The threat of terror against Indonesia has not been exhausted, and is predicted to increase after ISIS’s defeat in Syria and Iraq marked by the fall of Raqqa and Mosul areas previously controlled by ISIS, currently under the control of the Syrian and Iraqi governments. Foreign fighters who joined ISIS but survived or are still alive are expected to “go home to their respective countries” and it is this “strong signals” that the threat of terror has not been exhausted.

In the global realm, for example, the number of cases of poverty, the lack of access to education and health and the existence of “xenophobia” against foreigners, especially immigrants who are Muslims and come from “hot spot” areas such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Egypt , Nigeria and Sudan in some countries such as Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, including the United States are expected to cause “bigotry” that could trigger further terror acts.

Analysts of international and global politics issues who are also graduate alumni of the University of Indonesia (UI), Toni Ervianto stated, Denmark will be taken as the next terror target because Danish itself. For example, France has targeted by terror group after Charlie Hebdo magazine had been insulted prophet Muhammad SAW after they were released their news. It could be happen on several countries which has “xenophobia” spirit specially to a Muslim immigrant communities.

These global conditions directly and indirectly also affect the dynamics of the national situation, as evidenced by the potential threat of terrorist group ISIS conducted by sympathizers in lone-wolf or single fighter or in groups, massive and structured to date is expected intensity will be strengthened, in the presence of Strong evidence of lone-wolf attacks on North Sumatra Police Headquarters, stabbing Brimob members at mosques in the Police Headquarters and threatening terrorism at Mapolsek Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, where these attacks are thought to be “sami’na watona” attempts by sympathizers And terrorist members against calls / invitations / orders from high-ranking terror and radical groups in Indonesia allegedly propagated by cyber army belonging to terror groups to social media networks.

From various sources and observations of national, regional, Medsos or international media outreach, some terror groups and radical groups in Indonesia continue to consolidate and foster militant sympathizers and followers through the doctrine of jihad, even the doctrine of jihad is also disseminated through social media, Terror groups even on some campuses. Allegedly jihad doctrine is quite rampant occurred in Central Java, West Java, East Java, North Sumatra, South Sulawesi, West Kalimantan and NTB even suspected to Papua.

This condition clearly illustrates and shows the network of terror through small cells is expected to continue to grow and attempt to show its existence through acts of amaliyah attacking state apparatus which is considered as thogut or kafir, especially Polri, TNI and intelligence.

Therefore, it is true what is predicted by Chief of Police Tito Karnavian that the Police will become terrorist targets. True also the predictions of the TNI Commander and the Minister of Defense related to the locations of ISIS cells in Indonesia, as well as valid opinion and analysis of the Head of BIN, General Pol Budi Gunawan that the ISIS group has established a network of terror globally.

What can the local government do?

Terror attacks and threats to the regions in Indonesia are likely to continue, due to several factors not yet resolved social cohesion amid communities as global, regional and national problem residues; The return of foreign fighter who once claimed lives in Syria and Iraq after the defeat of ISIS; The existence and existence of groups and terror cells in the region; Has not been completed and the effectiveness of deradicalization has been done either through national education, state defense or deradicalization through Medsos against the propaganda spread by cyber army terror cells in Medsos and still cases of intolerance, poverty, education and access to health.

So what can the local government do? In addition to regional heads and ranks of the local government, namely the Unity of Nations and Politics (Kesbangpol) to conduct monitoring and data collection of citizens who just returned from the country that became the headquarters of the radical group ISIS. The local government to coordinate the request for such supervision in the district-level coordination forum (Forkopimda, -red) at the district and municipal levels, including with the Kominda.

In addition, local governments need to reinforce neighbor security system, periodic yustisi operations, operations on the completeness of immigration documents of foreigners in cooperation with the Police, Ministry of law and human rights and BIN, to re-empower the Community Awareness Forum and Forum of Religious Harmony, to intensify coffee morning with figures or Prominent figures, selective in providing scholarships, minimizing corruption, and increasing public confidence in the local government by working sincerely, honestly and anti-KKN.

*) Agung Wahyudin, The author is a graduate alumnus of Untag, Jakarta.