TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - However horrifying the plan for a suicide bomb attack on the State Palace last week, it does not mean giving the police carte blanche to conduct anti-terrorism operations. Admittedly, their authority to hunt terrorists as reflected in the new draft amendment to the anti-terrorism law establishes limits to what they can do. But invading private space to smoke out terrorists risks infringing on people's rights.
Dian Yulia Novi, a former migrant worker from Cirebon, West Java, was arrested two weeks ago on charges of planning to carry out a suicide-bombing in front of the palace the following Sunday, a car-free day. It is a time in the week when hundreds of pedestrians use the cordoned off space for sports and other activities. Had the plot gone ahead, the casualties would have been unimaginable.
The rapid reaction of Detachment 88 is commendable, similar to past blasts in Turkey, Yemen, Somalia and Egypt, all carried out in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). While the bombing in Jakarta was aborted, it is truly lamentable that some people claim this was somehow conjured up by police to draw attention away from the ongoing blasphemy case against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja 'Ahok' Purnama.
The involvement of women and children in terror acts for the first time in Indonesia is a serious development. In other parts of the world, such as in Jordan and Iraq, women have carried out suicide bombings. In Nigeria, suicide bombers have been as young as seven or eight years of age. As they become increasingly desperate, ISIS is no longer dispatching followers from Syria and Iraq to launch suicide attacks. Instead they are asking sympathizers to do it in their home countries. It is something we need to take seriously.
But our vigilance should not lead Indonesia to wage an arbitrary war against terrorism. The police must not be given limitless power because it could curb people's freedoms. We certainly don't want the terrorism law to become an Internal Security Act, the umbrella legislation used by Singapore and Malaysia to fight terrorism. As such, police of those two countries are allowed to break up suspected terrorist-related exchanges and make arrests.
In Indonesia, the law does not give police that singular power. They need evidence on which to base allegations of terrorist activities. The fact is that even with such restrictions imposed on it, Detachment 88 was still able to foil the palace bomb plot and quickly roll up the network behind it.
Compared to provisions in the Criminal Code, Anti-Terrorism Law No. 15/2002 actually gives more power to the police. In the Criminal Code, for example, suspects can only be detained for 48 hours. If in that time the police are unable to gather sufficient initial evidence, they must be released. The Anti-Terrorism Law prescribes a detention period of 168 hours or one week.
If the terrorism legislation does need to be improved, it is the responsibility of the government to do so to ensure justice for the victims, who in most cases must spend their own money to recover from their wounds and repair the damage.
Another, no less important factor is the problem of de-radicalization. In many cases, jailed terrorists simply go back to what they were doing once they are released. Juanda, the bomber of the church in Samarinda in mid-November, was one of the perpetrators of the Jakarta book bomb five years ago. The son of executed Bali bomber Imam Samudra joined ISIS and was killed in Syria.
Extending a helping hand to former terrorists and their families has proven to be ineffective in preventing violent acts. A number of organizations have helped in this process, but it has been difficult to keep it going. The government needs to think of new ways to make it work.
One suggestion is to involve the general public, with people being encouraged to act as the eyes and ears of the police in the fight against terrorism. If that is to happen, lessons on anti-terrorism must be included in the curricula of schools. The idea that religion is a source of peace must be planted early so it cannot be used as a justification for violence.
Hate sermons and speeches spouted off at places of worship, which we often witness these days, can only be fought by instilling tolerance in the minds of students at a young age. Only in this way can we prevent the propagation of terrorism among the faithful. (*)
Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
