BNPT: Economic empowerment ensures sustainable deradicalisation
The National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) has affirmed that economic empowerment is an important part of ensuring the deradicalisation process runs sustainably.
BNPT Head Eddy Hartono said economic empowerment is needed so that deradicalisation partners can return to living productively in society.
“This is a follow-up to the deradicalisation programme, in which we are developing the entrepreneurial aspects of the social reintegration programme for our brothers and sisters, former terrorism convicts,” Eddy said when confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday.
Within the framework of the Deradicalisation Implementation Coordination Team, BNPT together with several ministries and agencies is therefore empowering deradicalisation partners (former terrorism convicts) in the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors, on land owned by PT Sang Hyang Seri (SHS).
The empowerment is carried out by BNPT together with the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Kemenimipas) and the police’s Special Detachment 88 Anti-Terror (Densus 88 AT).
The success of the programme was marked by the harvest of cultivated produce managed by deradicalisation partners on PT SHS land in the Sukamandi area, Subang Regency, West Java, on Friday (31/7).
The joint harvest activity also served as evidence that cross-sector synergy is capable of strengthening the social reintegration process, increasing economic independence, and supporting the national food security programme, in line with the second point of the President’s Astacita as set out in the 2025-2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) under the second National Priority.
The second point of the Astacita reads: “Strengthening the national defence and security system and promoting national self-reliance through self-sufficiency in food, energy, water, sharia economy, digital economy, green economy, and blue economy.”
“We hope our brothers and sisters can be accepted back into society,” he said.
During the joint harvest activity, Minister of Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto said his ministry fully supports the programme because the rehabilitation of deradicalisation partners is part of the state’s responsibility.
“This is part of the Job Training Centre that we are developing together with PT Sang Hyang Seri and BNPT in order to support the President’s food security programme,” Agus said.
He assessed that the Sukamandi area has great potential to be developed as a training and empowerment centre for assisted communities. With an area of 3,200 hectares, the land can be utilised for various productive programmes.
President Director of PT Sang Hyang Seri Adhi Cahyono Nugroho explained that in addition to carrying out a business transformation as a national seed innovation centre, the company is also committed to supporting social empowerment programmes through the development of integrated farming (circular farming).
“We are not only talking about agriculture, but also goat farming and catfish. This circular farming will be our focus going forward, including educating and providing knowledge to assisted residents,” Adhi said.
The success of the programme has also been directly felt by deradicalisation partners, one of whom is Didin Kamaludin, who admitted to having benefited from the rehabilitation over the past four years.
“Alhamdulillah, it has been running for four years. Initially it was rice cultivation, then we developed sheep fattening and catfish farming. Economically it has helped, Alhamdulillah we earn income from rice, catfish and sheep farming, which helps our economy,” he said.
Didin said that in addition to receiving business mentoring, the deradicalisation partners also regularly receive guidance and moral support from BNPT, Kemenimipas, Densus 88 AT Polri, and PT Sang Hyang Seri.
The collaboration across ministries, agencies, law enforcement and state-owned enterprises serves as an example that the success of the deradicalisation programme is measured not only by security aspects, but also by the ability to bring about real change.
This real change is achieved through economic empowerment, social reintegration, and improved welfare that contributes to national development and food security.