Civilians hold keys to fighting terrorism: Prabowo

Civilian leaders now have to take charge in the fight against terrorism, especially by providing clear-cut rules for security forces to act against suspected terrorists, according to general turned businessman Prabowo Subianto. Lt. Gen. Prabowo, once the Indonesian military's rising star who was the commandant-general of the Army's most fearsome crack force, the Special Forces (Kopassus), gives a rare interview to The Jakarta Post's Edith Hartanto about his view on terrorism threats in the country. Below is the excerpt of the interview:

Question: Do you think that terrorism is a real threat and that it exists in Indonesia?

Answer: Yes, it is a real threat in Indonesia. Terrorism will exist as long as there are groups of people or elements of the nation who want to force their political interests or goals on others. These groups are usually the radical groups, extremists, fundamentalist and separatists movements. Such groups have existed in Indonesia, from time to time, in various forms, such as separatism in Papua and Aceh. So, terrorist threats are clearly present here.

We all here have experienced the terrible effects of terror such as when a spate of bombings took place throughout the country that resulted in a number of victims. It created fear and further distrust at the economic and political levels. Foreign investors fled the country due to a lack of security. All these have a great impact. I myself, as a businessman, also suffered from the fragile security situation.

In every country which has political conflicts and extreme groups who want to force their agendas, terrors will always exist. Why? Because those groups are using terror as weapons.

Q: There have been some accusations that Indonesia is a sanctuary for terrorists and that it has not done much to fight terrorism. What do you think?

A: I don't agree that Indonesia is positioned like that, like we are doing nothing. We are in a rough transition period towards a democratic country. And during this transformation period, we are hit by a prolonged crisis. Maybe the efforts are not well noticed because of the complex situation here. Well, Indonesia no longer has an Anti-Subversive Law, moreover an Internal Security Act that gives the security authorities a free reign to take any necessary action against suspected terrorists. We cannot just arrest people without clear evidence as we could in the past.

So it is a real tough job for the law enforces, both police and the military, to conduct their duties as their actions are restricted by the law.

On the other side, some say that Indonesia is "doing nothing". It's not fair. And we are put in a difficult situation. I also don't agree if Indonesia is called as a sanctuary for terrorists because they could have hidden somewhere else.

Q: The fact, however, is that Indonesia is now under the watchful eye of the United States, which is demanding more concrete action from Indonesia in relation to the war against terrorism?

A: Well, it is maybe more because the Americans feel that they are now a target (of terrorists). The evidence shows that the U.S. is not that interested in conflicts being waged by terrorists in other parts of the world. Sri Lankans say, "we have been attacked by Tamil Tigers for dozens of years" but nothing has been done on that by the U.S. In Northern Ireland, the IRA has been waging war for quite a long time, they are not being condemned.

So all of these (anti-terrorism drives) are more because America has been under attack. They are now angry and they have to protect their national interests.

The U.S. has long been known to have a double standard for its policy. For instance, then they had good military ties with Indonesia, but because of human rights issues the ties broke. And now with the wake of terrorism threats, they are trying to mend ties again.

Q: What about extreme groups in Indonesia such as Laskar Jihad or the Islamic Defenders Front which often conduct sweeping operations? Are they not terrorizing other people?

A: In that matter, I think that the basic thing is that everybody who is not in line with existing laws and regulations is breaking the law, and therefore stern measures must be taken against such lawbreakers. Actually it is the duty of the law enforcers to do so. It's actually as simple as that. But yes, the law enforcers have problems due to the lack of a legal basis in dealing with such matters.

Q: In such a situation where terrorists do pose a threat, what do you think that Indonesia needs to do now? Do we need a stronger law to act against terror suspects such as an Internal Security Act, although some say that it's considered a draconian law?

A: Well, I think the approach must be comprehensive. Civilian leaders, politicians and legislators are the ones who hold the keys on this. The initiative has to come from them. Why? Because on one side, to restore order and maintain peace, weaponry and an Internal Security Act are necessary, but they have to observe human rights and democratization aspects attached to this matter.

Civilian leaders must think this through because the dilemma is that this country is undergoing a democratic transition. And the fact is that we need such a law which you call draconian for national defense, but this kind of law will always draw criticism in this era. I can tell that without a clear ruling, the officers in the field will have problems maintaining national security.

A 1974 graduate of the Armed Forces Academy, Prabowo spent most of his military career in field operations and in counter- terrorism affairs within the Special Forces before rising to command the elite force. He has had extensive antiterror training, including from Germany's Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG-9).