MP: Handling of Extremism Must Be Based on Democracy and Human Rights
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tubagus (TB) Hasanuddin, a member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), has reminded that the handling of extremism must remain based on the principles of democracy and human rights (HAM) to prevent the criminalisation of innocent parties.
“The handling of extremism must remain based on the principles of democracy, respect for human rights, and a fair and comprehensive resolution of the root social issues,” he said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
The statement was made by TB Hasanuddin in response to Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 8 of 2026 on the National Action Plan for the Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism Leading to Terrorism for 2026-2028.
According to him, the attachment to the regulation contains several points that risk creating non-objective labelling of certain community groups.
The highlighted points include drivers of extremism: the high potential for communal conflicts based on primordial and religious sentiments, economic disparities, differences in political views, unfair treatment, and tolerance in religious life.
TB Hasanuddin assessed that three out of the five points, including economic disparities, differences in political views, and unfair treatment, must be explained carefully to avoid one-sided interpretations in the implementation of the regulation.
“These factors are highly prone to multiple interpretations and could drive non-objective labelling of violent extremism,” he stated.
According to him, when economic disparities trigger extreme poverty, the state should be present through policies for economic equalisation and social protection. “Not by using a security approach,” he said.
Therefore, he emphasised that communities voicing protests due to economic injustice must not be easily suspected or labelled as groups indicated for extremism.
“If the state neglects economic inequality, and poor communities protest because they feel unfairly treated, those community groups must not be labelled as seeds of extremism,” he explained.
He warned that such labelling could lead to repressive approaches in resolving social-economic issues and be counterproductive to efforts to uphold democracy.
In addition, he also highlighted the point regarding differences in political views as a driver of extremism. According to him, criticism of government policies is part of constitutional rights that must not be silenced under the pretext of security.
“Public criticism of government policies must not be considered as part of extremism. This is dangerous for democracy and could erode the freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution,” he said.
As a legislator handling defence affairs, TB Hasanuddin requested that the government ensure the implementation of Perpres No. 8 of 2026 is carried out transparently and proportionately.
It is known that Perpres No. 8 of 2026 on the National Action Plan for the Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism Leading to Terrorism for 2026-2028 was signed by President Prabowo Subianto on 9 February 2026.
The regulation, among other things, regulates the establishment of a joint secretariat for the RAN PE to ensure synchronisation and implementation by relevant ministries/institutions together with regional governments.
Its tasks include formulating implementation policies for RAN PE, coordinating implementation, monitoring and evaluating implementation, as well as preparing reports on achievements and evaluation results.