Former ISIS Fighters to Attend Deradicalisation Program: BNPT
4 July 2017 07:08 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius said that Indonesians returning from Syria must attend deradicalisation program. "Who can ensure that they are not radicals? As a precaution, we will offer education and deradicalisation program," he said yesterday in Jakarta.
According to Suhardi, prior to attending deradicalisation program, former foreign fighters will be subject to BNPT’s verification. "We will conduct a verification, and then we educate them in Bambu Apus [Jakarta] for a month, only then we will return them back to their homes," he said.
Read: Govt Encaurages De-radicalization Program
Indonesian law enforcement agencies are wary of 1,000 Indonesians returning back from the Middle East. The reason: they may include ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) foreign fighters.
BNPT is having difficulty in spotting former ISIS foreign fighters among returnees because there is no regulation in place on it.
Nevertheless, BNPT continues to try to anticipate possible terrorists among returnees from the Middle East by deradicalisation. Including by improving cooperation with Turkish government since many Indonesians enter Syria via Turkey. "We hope that the Turkish government can provide early information [on Indonesians returning from Syria via Turkey),” he said.
ANTARA | ISTMAN MP
