The Deradicalisation Programme for Indonesian Deportees: A Vacuum in Coordination

Authors

  • Chaula Rininta Anindya Nanyang Technological University

Keywords:

Indonesia, Deportees, Civil Society Organisation, Reintegration, Rehabilitation

Abstract

This paper aims to describe and provide an assessment of the rehabilitation and reintegration programme for Indonesian deportees in 2017. Hundreds of Indonesians aspired to join the militant jihad in Syria, but many were arrested before entering the country. Deportees without criminal charges were sent to the Ministry of Social Affairs’ (Kemensos) shelters in East Jakarta to undergo a one-month rehabilitation programme. The rehabilitation was executed prematurely with the absence of clear guidelines. A reintegration programme should play a pivotal role in a long-term deradicalisation process. Yet, the acute problem of “sectoral ego” among Indonesian institutions hampers the effectiveness of the reintegration programme, as there are overlapping responsibilities between state agencies and non-governmental organisations. Severe competition among relevant stakeholders also slows down information sharing in the handling of deportees. This paper finds that sectoral ego has created significant obstacles for the reintegration programme. There are “too many hands” on one deportee, which makes it hard to assess which programme works more effectively. In addition, the deportees also receive several visits from various stakeholders that have similar offers and provide repetitive discussions, leading to some deportees becoming reluctant to cooperate. As a result, “too many cooks spoil the broth”. The relevant stakeholders must enhance transparency and coordination that is not limited to an agreement on paper. The management of deportees can also provide lessons for policy makers to improve broader CVE efforts in Indonesia.

References

Abuza, Z. (2009 ). The Rehabilitation of Jemaah Islamiyah Detainees in South East Asia. In T. Bjørgo & J. Horgan (Eds.), Leaving Terrorism Behind: Individual and Collective Disengagement. New York: Routledge.

Altier, M. B., Thoroughgood, C. N., & Horgan, J. G. (2014). Turning Away from Terrorism: Lesson from psychology, sociology, and criminology. Journal of Peace Research, 51(5), 647-661.

Anindya, C. R. (2018). Deradicalising Deportees: Vacuum in Coordination?(067). Retrieved from https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/co18067-deradicalising-deportees-vacuum-in-coordination/#.XFQS5i2B00o (accessed 13 July 2018)

Bjørgo, T., & Horgan, J. (2009). Introduction. In T. Bjørgo & J. Horgan (Eds.), Leaving Terrorism Behind: Individual and Collective Disengagement. New York: Routledge.

Braddock, K. (2014). The Talking Cure: Communication and Psychological Impact in Prison De-radicalisation Programmes. In A. Silke (Ed.), Prisons, Terrorism, and Extremism: Critical Issues in Management, Radicalisation, and Reform. New York: Routledge.

C-SAVE Indonesia. (2019). Institutionalizing Gendered Rehabilitation through Civil Society-Government Collaboration. United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved from http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/womens-empowerment/invisible-women.html (accessed 20 January 2019)

Horgan, J. (2009). Walking Away from Terrorism: Accounts of Disengagement from Radical and Extremist Movements. New York: Routledge.

Hwang, J. C. (2018). Why Terrorist Quit: The Disengagement of Indonesian Jihadist. New York: Cornell University Press.

International Centre for The Prevention of Crime. (2017, August). The Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence: An International Study of Front-Line Workers and Intervention Issues. Retrieved from http://www.crime-prevention-intl.org/en/publications/report/report/article/rapport-sur-la-prevention-de-la-radicalisation-menant-a-la-violence.html (accessed 30 July 2018)

Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (2018, July 17). Managing Indonesia’s Pro-ISIS Deportees. IPAC Report No. 47, 1-13. Retrieved from http://understandingconflict.org/en/conflict/read/78/Managing-Indonesias-Pro-ISIS-Deportees (accessed 30 July 2018)

Jones, S. (2018). How ISIS Has Changed Terrorism in Indonesia. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/opinion/isis-terrorism-indonesia-women.html (accessed 25 May 2018)

Koehler, D. (2017). Understanding Deradicalization: Methods, Tools, and Programmes for Countering Violent Extremism. New York: Routledge.

Marsden, S. V. (2017). Reintegrating Extremist: Deradicalisation and Desistance. Lancaster: Palgrave.

Neumann, P. R. (2013). The Trouble with Radicalization. International Affairs, 89(4), 873-893.

Rabasa, A., Pettyjohn, S. L., Ghez, J. J., & Boucek, C. (2010). Deradicalizing Islamist Extremists. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation.

Ramakrishna, K. (2014). The “Three Rings” of Terrorist Rehabilitation and Counter-Ideological Work in Singapore. In A. Silke (Ed.), Prisons, Terrorism, and Extremism: Critical Issues in Management, Radicalisation, and Reform. New York: Routledge.

Schulze, K. E., & Liow, J. C. (2018). Making Jihadis, Waging Jihadis: Transnational and Local Dimension of the ISIS Phenomenon in Indonesia and Malaysia. Asian Security, 1-14. doi:10.1080/14799855.2018.1424710

Singh, B. (2017). Jemaah Islamiyah: Still a Latent Threat(075). Retrieved from https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/cens/co17075-jemaah-islamiyah-still-a-latent-threat/#.XFQLYC2B00o (accessed 10 November 2018)

Spalek, B., & Davies, L. (2012). Mentoring in Relation to Violent Extremism: A Study of Role, Purposes, and Outcomes. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 35, 354-368.

Sumpter, C. (2018, July 12). Returning Indonesia Extremists: Unclear Intentions and Unprepared Responses. The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism The Hague 9. Retrieved from https://icct.nl/publication/returning-indonesian-extremists-unclear-intentions-and-unprepared-responses/ (accessed 30 July 2018)

Topsfield, J. (2017). Terror in Indonesia: The Threat Posed by Returning Islamic State Fighters. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/world/terror-in-indonesia-the-threat-posed-by-returning-islamic-state-fighters-20170915-gyi11p.html (accessed 15 January 2019)

Downloads

Published

2019-03-26

Issue

Section

Articles