Public participation crucial for antiterrorism movement<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri should unite the whole nation in
\nthe war against terrorism after the bomb attack in Bali so that
\nthe government regulations in lieu of antiterrorism law issued
\nrecently can work effectively, analysts have said.<\/p>\n
Sociologists Ignas Kleden and Iwan Gardono said that the
\ngovernment regulations would lack power to clamp down on
\nterrorism here unless the public at large was involved in an
\nantiterrorism campaign through improved alertness.<\/p>\n
Public participation, however, should be restricted to
\nproviding information to the security authorities instead of
\nbuilding mass organizations or groups to counter terrorism, they
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Any mass groups set up to counter terrorism may create
\nanother form of terror in society,\" Ignas said here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Ignas, director of the Go East Institute research center,
\nsuggested that people and security institutions boost cooperation
\nthrough information sharing.<\/p>\n
It is hoped that better coordination between security
\nauthorities and people who receive bomb threats or find something
\nsuspicious will prevent the spread of rumors, which can terrorize
\nthe general public, Ignas added.<\/p>\n
Iwan Gardono of the University of Indonesia (UI) emphasized
\nthat with a limited number of intelligence officers, the
\nauthorities would be too weak to cope with the increasing threat
\nof terrorism.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono made an official statement after the
\nBali blast that there was a possibility of a second terror
\nattack.<\/p>\n
However, he fell short of demanding that people unite and be
\nmore alert.<\/p>\n
Ignas and Iwan suggested that the public could take their own
\ninitiative to boost alertness and share information on anything
\nsuspicious with the security forces.<\/p>\n
It has been 12 days since the bomb blasts rocked Kuta, Bali,
\nbut President Megawati has not yet addressed the nation on the
\nneed to unite and boost alertness to combat terrorism.<\/p>\n
Neither has the President established strong coordination
\nbetween the relevant authorities to carry out a better
\ninvestigation into the fatal bombing.<\/p>\n
Better coordination and public alertness would help the
\ngovernment achieve a more effective response to terrorist
\nthreats, the two experts said.<\/p>\n
The government has issued government regulations in lieu of
\nantiterrorism law, but no thorough explanation has been given by
\nthe President since then on what the country would achieve or
\nhow, using the new regulations.<\/p>\n
According to Ignas, the public could improve alertness through
\nsiskamling, the Indonesian acronym for neighborhood night
\npatrols.<\/p>\n
\"Siskamling will help in the effort to counter terrorism. But
\nit won't be easy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Iwan, meanwhile, added that residents in neighborhood (RT) and
\ncommunity units (RW) should help each other to improve security
\nin their areas.<\/p>\n
He suggested that people report to security officials if they
\nwere suspicious about anyone. \"The patrols could be drawn from
\nresidents at RT and RW levels, to officers at district level,\"
\nIwan added.<\/p>\n
The government has tended to ignore the role of the people:
\nTherefore society itself should seize the initiative by improving
\nalertness in neighborhoods, he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/public-participation-crucial-for-antiterrorism-movement-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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