In the wake of last week’s deadly terrorist attack in Thamrin, Central Jakarta, President Joko Widodo is looking to tighten Indonesia’s current anti-terrorism laws. One regulation he hopes to change is that regarding Indonesians who have gone to fight with ISIS in the Middle East, as currently they are freely allowed to return to their homeland freely after working for the militant group.
However, until those regulations are changed, Indonesians from Syria will continue to return home. Just last night, 43 Indonesians who had recently been in the ISIS stronghold country arrived in Jakarta.
Indonesian Police Chief Badrodin Haiti insisted that all 43 returnees, all of whom are men from the Pandeglang regency of Banten, would be checked for connections to ISIS.
“It’s possible (some of the 43 could have been in ISIS), we will check them later,” said Badrodin last night as quoted by Okezone.
The country’s police chief also said that their movements and activities would be constantly monitored.
“Every day there is information (about the return of citizens from Syria). The procedure is that they will be checked up on,” Badrodin said.
