U.S. Sanctions 5 Indonesians Financing ISIS; Foreign Affairs Ministry Responds

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry director of human rights and humanitarian affairs Achsanul Habib in a press conference on Thursday explained the unilateral nature of the sanction imposed by the United States against five Indonesian nationals who they suspect are involved in financially facilitating the terrorist group ISIS.

In this case, he said, sanctions apply in the U.S. legal jurisdiction and Indonesia will not follow it. 

“What we are following is the United Nations multilateral mechanism, especially sanctions that are issued by the [UN security council],” said Habib in the press conference in Jakarta, on May 12. 

The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, said Habib, will wait for the U.S. to take this case to the UN, which by then, will be followed by Indonesia. He added that Indonesia will obey its national law in this case. 

"We will still see how we process this from our perspective, including those who have been included in the individuals grouped in the DTTOT, the list of suspected terrorists and banned organizations," said the human rights and humanitarian affairs director. 

The Indonesians suspected of ISIS involvement are Dwi Dahlia Susanti, Rudi Heryadi, Ari Kardian, Muhammad Dandi Adhiguna, and Dini Ramadhani. The U.S. government suspects them of holding key roles in facilitating extremists to Syria and other regions under the influence of the terrorist group. 

In a statement published on the website of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, quoted on Tuesday, May 10, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said the five people and their own network conducted financial transfers to support ISIS efforts in Syria-based refugee camps by collecting funds in Indonesia and Turkey. 

It is believed that the money is used to smuggle children out of the camps and send foreign ISIS fighters. 

The Indonesian National Police (Polri) spokesperson Commissioner Gatot Repli Handoko on Tuesday said the national police would communicate with Interpol to arrest the three Indonesian citizens involved in ISIS funding as they are suspected of being in Syria. The three people are Dwi Dahlia Susanti, Dini Ramadhani and Muhammad Dandi Adhiguna 

After this process is completed, Police plan to deport them back to Indonesia to be trialed under the Indonesian justice system while the others will be closely monitored by the Densus 88 counterterrorism unit.

Read: Police Say 3 Indonesians Supporting ISIS Reside in Syria 

DANIEL AHMAD