Densus 88 Partners with Cilegon City Government to Prevent Radicalisation
Densus 88 Anti-Terror (AT) of the Indonesian National Police is partnering with the Cilegon City Government to prevent the public from being influenced by radical ideologies. This initiative is being carried out by strengthening social resilience and national awareness to prevent the spread of intolerance, radicalism, extremism, and terrorism (IRET).
The event, titled ‘National Awareness: The Role of the Family in Maintaining National Unity’, was held at the Hotel Permata Krakatau in Cilegon City. A total of 400 participants, including religious counsellors, village officials, and community police officers (Bhabinkamtibmas), attended to reinforce their role as a frontline defence within the community.
Head of the Banten Regional Task Force and Densus 88 AT Spokesperson, Commissioner Mayndra Eka, stressed the importance of vigilance against propaganda on social media. According to him, social media has become a primary tool for spreading radical ideologies since 2014. ‘Social media has been one of the main means of spreading propaganda for intolerance, radicalism, and terrorism since 2014, so supervision and education for the public is an urgent need,’ Mayndra said in a statement on Thursday (25/6/2026).
On the occasion, Mayndra also spoke about the phenomenon of children coming into conflict with the law due to joining groups such as the True Criminal Community (TCC). ‘Security and guidance measures have been taken against seven children in the Banten region,’ he said.
He therefore encouraged local governments to formulate strategic policies aligned with the second phase of the National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Extremism (RAN PE). He stressed that counter-terrorism efforts cannot rely solely on the security forces. ‘Countering radicalism and terrorism cannot be solely the burden of the authorities, but requires the involvement of all elements of society,’ he asserted.
Mayndra called on all levels of society to protect the family, school, and places of worship from hateful content and intolerant incitement. Through this activity, it is hoped that agents of change will emerge from religious and youth leaders who can voice peace.
On the same occasion, Cilegon Mayor Robinsar expressed appreciation for the collaborative steps taken by Densus 88. He stated that synergy between the government, educational institutions, and religious leaders is key. ‘Preventing intolerance, radicalism, extremism, and terrorism requires the involvement of all elements of the nation through synergy between the government, religious leaders, educational institutions, and the community,’ he said.
Echoing this sentiment, Cilegon Police Deputy Chief Commissioner M. Ridzky Salatun reminded attendees that security threats have now shifted to the ideological domain. He emphasised the importance of digital literacy for the public. ‘Security threats are no longer just conventional crimes, but also the spread of ideologies that can disrupt national unity and integrity. Therefore, early detection efforts, strengthening tolerance, and improving digital literacy are important steps,’ Ridzky explained.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Cilegon Ministry of Religious Affairs Office, Amin Hidayat, highlighted the vital role of the family as the smallest unit of society. He assessed that the family is the first filter for the younger generation. ‘The family is the first environment that instils moral values, tolerance, and national spirit, so it can act as a fortress against the influence of intolerance and extremism, especially in the current era of rapid social media development,’ Amin concluded.
The activity was also attended by officials from the Banten Province and Cilegon City National Unity and Political Affairs Agency (Kesbangpol), the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB), and the Cilegon branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) as a form of cross-sector commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).