TNI to Involve in Antiterrorism Bill

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto responds to reporters’ questions after a communal fast-breaking on Monday (29/5), at Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto reminded all that terrorism is our common enemy.

The related parties have agreed that terrorism must be confronted with comprehensive, global, and total manners because the enemy will do all means. Moreover, terrorism does not only happen in Indonesia.

“Therefore, to counter terrorism we must be total which means all components of the nation are involved, including the Police, the people, and Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI),” Wiranto told the reporters after a Plenary Cabinet Meeting on Monday (29/5), at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java.

On that Meeting, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo asserted the importance of granting authority to the TNI to be involved in the Antiterrorism Bill. The President believes that the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs has prepared the background reasons for the TNI to be involved in that Bill.

Wiranto explained that if the TNI is not involved in that Bill, they could not do anything when the terror attack happens at the TNI Headquarters’ surrounding areas. For that reason, the Coordinating Minister asked the people, particularly the political figures to understand this issue. “Do not let the security forces fight the terrorism without any support, because the one who get attacked and harmed by the terrorists is the people,” Wiranto firmly said.

Wiranto stressed on the needs to protect the people through firm manner that will eliminate terror attack in Indonesia. Not to mention that the Philippines military is now combating Islamic State group (ISIS) which expected to move their base to southern Philippines. “The location is very close to Indonesia,” Wiranto added.

Echoing similar ideas, Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) General Tito Karnavian admitted that he has discussed with the Commander of  TNI and the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs that terrorism must be addressed by taking comprehensive measures. It can’t be done only by one institution, nor law enforcement. “It needs prevention, prosecution, and post prosecution measures, namely deradicalization or rehabilitation programs. It will involve many elements,” Tito said.

According to the Chief, TNI is one of Indonesia’s main assets that has many potentials, including intelligence and territorial potentials, and it also has a prosecution team.

Those potentials can be utilized to combat terrorism together. For example, Tito added, in the preventive measures, TNI’s intelligence and territorial potentials can play a great role. Meanwhile, for deradicalization or rehabilitation programs, TNI will play a role in monitoring terrorist inmates when they are released from the prison.

Tito reminded all that the terrrorist network not only surged in a country, but internationally, for example those in southern Philippines, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iraq. The TNI, which has intelligence and other potentials, can play a role in combating the terrrorist network. “Why don’t TNI work together with Polri. When Polri has police-to-police cooperation, TNI has military-to-military cooperation, so does other intelligence agency. We can synergize those cooperations,” Tito explained.

However, Tito added that Indonesia is a democratic country which upholds law supremacy and human rights. Thus, to address the issue of terrorism it should apply due process of law principle.

(DND/UN/ES) (RA/MMB/YM/Naster)