Fighting for Jihad to Rupiah
Reports regarding eight Indonesian citizens (WNI) recruited by Russia to fight against Ukraine evoke memories of several Hollywood films about mercenaries, such as The Expendables and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. However, the eight Indonesians in Russia cannot be immediately equated to these cinematic characters, as information regarding them requires further investigation and verification.
Recently, videos have circulated on social media showing an Indonesian citizen allegedly captured by Ukrainian forces. In the video, the man claims he originally worked as a cleaner before being forced to become a soldier to fight against Ukraine. Whether his identity and confession are true, and whether he is one of the eight reported Indonesians, still needs to be verified.
Interestingly, the involvement of Indonesians in foreign armed conflicts is not a new phenomenon. In the 1980s, a number of Indonesians travelled to Afghanistan to fight against the Soviet Union. Some joined Mujahideen groups, while others underwent military training. According to the records of Nasir Abas, a former member of Jamaah Islamiyah, dozens of Indonesians gained experience in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan served not only as a battlefield but also as a meeting point for Islamic fighter networks from various countries. From there, some Indonesians returned with combat experience, networks, and ideas that subsequently influenced the development of militant groups in Indonesia. Several names became widely known, including Abu Tholut, who served as a military instructor in the Philippines, and Mukhlas (alias Ali Ghufron), one of the perpetrators of the Bali Bombings.
While not every Indonesian who went to Afghanistan became a terrorist, the Afghanistan experience remains a vital link in the history of the formation of transnational militant networks that later expanded in Indonesia.
History also recognises citizens of one nation fighting for the interests of another, such as the Gurkhas from Nepal recruited by the British since the 19th century. Indonesia has a different history through the KNIL, the colonial army of the Dutch East Indies, which recruited indigenous people from various regions. However, the Gurkhas and KNIL cannot be simply called mercenaries in the modern sense, as they operated within official military structures with clear legal relationships and chains of command.
The case of the eight Indonesians in Russia exists in a different context. Individuals entering foreign conflict zones are not always driven by the same motives; some are motivated by ideology, religious solidarity, adventure, networks, or economic interests. There is even the possibility that someone enters a battlefield against their will, as suggested by the Indonesian citizen in the circulating video—if that information proves true.
Therefore, the case of the eight Indonesians in Russia should not be viewed solely through the lens of how much they were paid. More important are the recruitment processes, who is behind them, what was promised, the routes taken, and the true motives of each individual.
Furthermore, the legal consequences must not be overlooked. Law Number 12 of 2006 concerning the Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia stipulates that an Indonesian citizen may lose their citizenship if they join a foreign military service without prior permission from the President, as stated in Article 23, letter d.
However, this provision does not mean that someone automatically loses their Indonesian status the moment they donset a foreign military uniform. Such status must be examined and processed according to the applicable mechanisms. Crucially, a distinction must be made between those who voluntarily register as foreign soldiers, those deceived by job offers, and those who claim to have been forced. This distinction is vital both legally and humanely.