Terrorism - A Social Problems in Indonesia

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Terrorism as any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act. Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for a religious, political or ideological goal, and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians).[citation needed] Some definitions now exclude acts of state terrorism and some also include acts of unlawful violence and war.

Terrorism In Indonesia

Terrorism in Indonesia can in part be attributed to the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah Islamist terror group. Since 2002, a number of 'western targets' have been attacked. Victims have included both foreig (mainly Western tourista) as well as Indonesian civilians. Terrorism in Indonesia intensified in 2000 with the Jakarta Stock Exchange bombing, followed by four more large attacks. The deadliest killed 202 people (including 164 international tourists) in the Bali resort town of Kuta in 2002.

The attacks, and subsequent travel warnings issued by other countries including the United States and Australia, severely damaged Indonesia's tourism industry and foreign investment prospects. Bali's economy was particularly hard hit, as were tourism based businesses in other parts of Indonesia. In May 2008, the United States government decided to lift its warning. In 2006, 227,000 Australians visited Indonesia and in 2007 this rose to 314,000.

 

Radical and Terrorist Organizations 

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• Laskar Jihad (LJ). The LJ was established in 2000 in response to religious violence in Maluku.  It is in fact the military wing of Forum Kommunikasi Ahlus Sunnah wal Jammah (Communications Forum of the followers of Sunnah).  A few thousand volunteers were given military training in Bogor and sent to Maluku in April 2000 and were involved in creating communal violence.  It is more or less an established fact that LJ had the backing of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI).  This outfit is reportedly disbanded though there is no proof to this effect.

•   Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI).   The MMI is the country’s umbrella organization for militant groups, headed by Abu Bakar Bashir.  The MMI is lobbying to convert Indonesia into an Islamic state.  The Islamic movement in Indonesia plays its part both in the political and militant activities.  Bashir is known to have established ties with most of the paramilitary groups through the MMI.  A former vice president Hamza Haz, while in office, had admitted openly that Bashir is his close friend and had even planned to visit Bashir (while he was in jail).

• Jemaah Islamiah (JI).  Jemaah  Islamiah means Islamic community.  The JI was founded in 1993-94 by Abdullah Sungkar who was in exile in Malaysia.  The aim of JI is to have an Islamic state encompassing Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the southern parts of Thailand and Philippines. JI has its roots in Darul Islam which had strived for the establishment of an Islamic state in Indonesia in the 1950s and 60s. Abu Bakar Bashir is alleged to be the head of JI and he is currently under detention for a not so serious offence though connected to the Bali blast in October 2002.   Though some leaders of this organization have had contacts with Al Qaeda there is little evidence to substantiate that it is the SE Asian wing of Al Qaeda.

Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group has said that it is a mistake to see Indonesian militancy as monolithic (Far Eastern economic Review- June 17, 2004).  She has identified several other terrorist organizations/groups other than Jemaah Islamiah such as

• Radical members of the Ngruki network
• Followers of Darul Islam (which fought for an Islamic state in the 1950s)
• Groups of veterans from Afghanistan and Mindanao training camps operating independently from JI.