TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Kampung Melayu bombing represents a failure of our intelligence system. Terror attacks are not like unpredictable earthquakes. Like the recent Kampung Melayu bombing that killed three police officers and wounded 11 others, they were perpetrated by members of a network of lunatics whose connections could be traced and tracked down.
In December 2016, the special anti-terror Detachment 88 caught Dian Yulia Novi, who planned to blow herself up by using a "pressure cooker" bomb at the Presidential Palace. She was recruited by Solihin, the man she married after they met on the Internet. Solihin was a cadre of Aman Abdurrahman, who swore allegiance to ISIS (Islamic States of Iraq and Syria) leader Abu Bakar Al-Baghdadi. Aman is now incarcerated at Nusakambangan Prison on charges of terrorism. The police thwarted Dian Novi"s plot but how did the Kampung Melayu bombers manage to slip under the intelligence radar? Dian Novi was a new recruit but the intelligence managed to track her movements and finally arrested her.
The Kampung Melayu incident could have been prevented. From a slew of bombings that rocked Indonesia since 2001, it has been found that our home-grown terrorists usually use simple methods of communication. Albeit operating in disconnected cells, recruitment of prospective bombers and sending out instructions are done via telecommunication networks: the Internet or cell phone. The police and the intelligence are able to map and intercept such communications to cut off recruitment channels.
In the past two years, terrorists have switched targets. Instead of targeting public places that have symbols of and links to the US, they now target the police. The effects are more sporadic causing widespread fear as there is no certainty when terror will strike. This pattern also shows that attacks are becoming more indiscriminate. Their main objective, while asserting their own existence, is to cause terror and fear. The objective is to delegitimize the government entrusted to protect the public from all threats.
The state security apparatus must not allow these terrorists to unleash more terror. Learn from what happened to Marawi, a small town in the southern Philippines which was recently besieged by ISIS-linked terrorists. They raided a prison and released inmates detained for terrorism charges and then held hostage the town of 200,000 people. Outnumbered, the army retreated at first. The factor behind the militants" victory is their ability to utilize sleeper cells-groups of terrorists who live inconspicuously among local communities until they are activated by commands to carry out attacks.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the Kampung Melayu bombing. With that, the Marawi incident should serve as alarm bells for Indonesia. We cannot rule out the possibility of similar incidents happening at home. ISIS is now building sleeper cells which they will activate when we let our guard down and when we least expect it, amid our weak intelligence.
Another worrying situation is the government"s inaction against violent languages being used by so-called religious organizations. Nowadays, calls such as "kill kafirs’ are becoming common on social media networks. Children’s torch parades in Jakarta ushering the Ramadan holy month on the eve of the bomb explosion was filled with such hateful slurs. Although clearly in violation of the law, these calls to commit violence go unpunished.
A statement of ‘We are not afraid’ after each bomb explosion is a great message to terrorists that we remain unfazed by their acts of terror. However, it is the time we replace it with ‘We will fight back’, to exhibit the public’s resolve in countering terrorism. It can start with creating public awareness starting from micro communities. From there, increase public awareness that religion-based ideology campaigns, riding on freedom of expression and association, divide communities and create a permissive society.
We should not let down our guard once the situation returns to normal. All forms of cautionary measures, like metal detectors in public places, should be installed for the long haul, not just during the few weeks following a bombing. This is usually a time when the public and security apparatus become lax again, despite the looming specter of terror. The government must work harder to educate the public on such threats and the intelligence community must be smarter in smoking out these terrorists. Meanwhile, people must unite in putting a stop to the ideology of violence based on faith and religion.(*)
Read the full story in this week’s edition of Tempo English Magazine
