Abu Bakar Baasyir Freedom Assessed by Expert on Terrorism
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21 January 2019 13:32 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Institute Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) expert on terrorism Khairul Fahmi concurred to the government’s decision upon freeing Abu Bakar Baasyir since the terror convict had already undergone 2/3rd of his prison sentence.
“The human factor is also worth considering. Other than Baasyir’s age, I think this is a good step upon establishing a better approach in handling terrorism,” said Khairul in a phone call with Tempo today.
He saw that the release of Baasyir must be followed by the government applying new strategies to prevent future terrors, such as how to introduce an effective yet non-repressive way to monitor potential terrorists.
Read also: Yusril and Jokowi`s Discussion on Freeing Abu Bakar Baasyir
“We can test whether his release was driven by practical reasons such as an electoral strategy, but apart from that, this is a strategic policy with benefits that outweigh mere tactical politics,” said Khairul.
He also argues that the release is a strategy to eliminate acts of terrors driven by vengeance and hatred. However, he maintained that the government must provide a detailed scheme on citizen protection after the release of Abu Bakar Baasyir.
RYAN DWIKY ANGGRIAWAN