Indonesians have been joining up with terror group ISIS in the hundreds in recent years, with the deportation and repatriation of those captured in the group’s strongholds, such as in Syria, being a hot topic for debate in Indonesia.
But the country’s defense minister, Ryamizard Ryacudu, is not hiding where he stands on the repatriation issue. To him, the solution is simple.
“It’s better they don’t return. If they want to struggle, well, they can struggle there until their death,” Ryamizard said at the Presidential Palace yesterday, as quoted by Kompas.
“Instead of bothering us, it’s better that they remain there.”
The former army general’s statement came after reports that Turkey had so far deported 152 Indonesian nationals who are believed to be strongly affiliated with ISIS from January to June of this year. The returnees were repatriated and made to go through the government’s deradicalization program before being sent back to their hometowns to live among their fellow Indonesians.
Government officials say around 500-600 Indonesians are believed to be in Syria fighting for ISIS at the moment. Around 500 more have attempted to reach Syria – with Turkey being a common transit point – but were deported before reaching ISIS territory.
Most ISIS returnees are released without further monitoring, which has led to calls for legislation that would strengthen Indonesia’s anti-terrorism law in order to prevent acts of terrorism from happening in the country. However, activists have warned that suggested revisions to the anti-terrorism law, such as allowing authorities to wiretap suspected terrorists, goes against the basic principles of human rights and could even wrongly target innocents if the law doesn’t sufficiently come up with a legal definition for ‘terrorist’.
Indonesia has witnessed a spate of suicide bombings in recent months, for which ISIS claimed responsibility, that killed dozens of people.
