Reports regarding eight Indonesian citizens (WNI) recruited by Russia\nto fight against Ukraine evoke memories of several Hollywood films about\nmercenaries, such as The Expendables and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers\nof Benghazi. However, the eight Indonesians in Russia cannot be\nimmediately equated to these cinematic characters, as information\nregarding them requires further investigation and verification.<\/p>\n
Recently, videos have circulated on social media showing an\nIndonesian citizen allegedly captured by Ukrainian forces. In the video,\nthe man claims he originally worked as a cleaner before being forced to\nbecome a soldier to fight against Ukraine. Whether his identity and\nconfession are true, and whether he is one of the eight reported\nIndonesians, still needs to be verified.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, the involvement of Indonesians in foreign armed\nconflicts is not a new phenomenon. In the 1980s, a number of Indonesians\ntravelled to Afghanistan to fight against the Soviet Union. Some joined\nMujahideen groups, while others underwent military training. According\nto the records of Nasir Abas, a former member of Jamaah Islamiyah,\ndozens of Indonesians gained experience in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Afghanistan served not only as a battlefield but also as a meeting\npoint for Islamic fighter networks from various countries. From there,\nsome Indonesians returned with combat experience, networks, and ideas\nthat subsequently influenced the development of militant groups in\nIndonesia. Several names became widely known, including Abu Tholut, who\nserved as a military instructor in the Philippines, and Mukhlas (alias\nAli Ghufron), one of the perpetrators of the Bali Bombings.<\/p>\n
While not every Indonesian who went to Afghanistan became a\nterrorist, the Afghanistan experience remains a vital link in the\nhistory of the formation of transnational militant networks that later\nexpanded in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
History also recognises citizens of one nation fighting for the\ninterests of another, such as the Gurkhas from Nepal recruited by the\nBritish since the 19th century. Indonesia has a different history\nthrough the KNIL, the colonial army of the Dutch East Indies, which\nrecruited indigenous people from various regions. However, the Gurkhas\nand KNIL cannot be simply called mercenaries in the modern sense, as\nthey operated within official military structures with clear legal\nrelationships and chains of command.<\/p>\n
The case of the eight Indonesians in Russia exists in a different\ncontext. Individuals entering foreign conflict zones are not always\ndriven by the same motives; some are motivated by ideology, religious\nsolidarity, adventure, networks, or economic interests. There is even\nthe possibility that someone enters a battlefield against their will, as\nsuggested by the Indonesian citizen in the circulating video\u2014if that\ninformation proves true.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the case of the eight Indonesians in Russia should not be\nviewed solely through the lens of how much they were paid. More\nimportant are the recruitment processes, who is behind them, what was\npromised, the routes taken, and the true motives of each individual.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the legal consequences must not be overlooked. Law\nNumber 12 of 2006 concerning the Citizenship of the Republic of\nIndonesia stipulates that an Indonesian citizen may lose their\ncitizenship if they join a foreign military service without prior\npermission from the President, as stated in Article 23, letter d.<\/p>\n
However, this provision does not mean that someone automatically\nloses their Indonesian status the moment they donset a foreign military\nuniform. Such status must be examined and processed according to the\napplicable mechanisms. Crucially, a distinction must be made between\nthose who voluntarily register as foreign soldiers, those deceived by\njob offers, and those who claim to have been forced. This distinction is\nvital both legally and humanely.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fighting-for-jihad-to-rupiah-1788407899", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }