War against terror: Lessons for Indonesia

Bantarto Bandoro, Editor, 'The Indonesian Quarterly', Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, bandoro@csis.or.id

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States in which thousands of innocent lives were lost has led Indonesia and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to join the American-led global war against international terrorism.

The war against terrorism will be a never ending battle as the U.S. continues to seek stronger commitment from the countries in the region, especially the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, of which the latter two are considered to be the operational bases for Jemaah Islamiah, a radical Islamic group allegedly linked to al-Qaeda attempting to carve out an Islamic state.

The government of Megawati Soekarnoputri has long denied the presence of substantial terrorist networks in the archipelago -- but it has taken US$50 million from Washington to assist security forces in the antiterrorist struggle.

Indonesia has been viewed as something of a laggard in this global war, not only by the U.S., but also even by its friends in the region, Malaysia and Singapore. Since Sept. 11 Indonesia has always been on the U.S. international policy agenda, because it allegedly is a haven for terrorist groups. Singapore has also accused Indonesia of being a safe ground for nurturing terrorist activities.

Either independently or within the context of ASEAN Indonesia has now been integrated into an antiterrorist network. Washington believes that Indonesia could play a crucial role in ensuring that "militant Islam" does not spread and thus jeopardize regional peace and security.

But the existence of Indonesia in such networking will not automatically eliminate the already strong image held by certain members of the international community that our country is hospitable toward international terrorists. Counter-terrorism experts have long insisted that Indonesia has served as both a staging area and refuge for terrorists.

Indonesia's participation in the antiterrorist coalition still has to be tested as the country continues to face difficulties in arresting or detaining "radical" Indonesian Muslim leaders accused by foreign countries as having al-Qaeda connections. The government always feels it needs to convince foreign envoys of its determination to fight terrorism. But Indonesia lacks the capability to do so.

One of the effects of Sept. 11 is that Indonesia is considering an antiterrorist law, among other things. The idea that the law be introduced to curb terrorist activities has caused strong opposition from certain sectors, arguing that the law may be used to oppress certain groups in the country. Given its controversy there are further doubts of when it will become effective.

Many in the West have attempted to link the issue of terrorism with democracy and Islam. International campaigns against global terrorism serves as a kind of wake-up call for Indonesia to start thinking of combining democracy and Islam. Perhaps, it is through such a course that Indonesia will gain more sympathy from the West, the U.S. in particular.

Indonesia is now embarking on a fragile experiment of democracy. A successful management of the process by the present and future government will make the country the third largest democracy in the world and in the Muslim world. But if the experiment fails, the country will definitely become a source of gravity for possible extremist activities, thus guaranteeing another big blow to Indonesia.

Despite appreciation from the U.S. of Indonesia's perceived seriousness in fighting terrorism, we will still be closely watched by the international community as to whether we will fully respect human rights. This is the kind of issue often linked to the role of the military. If the Indonesian Military (TNI) is going to prevail over terrorism, they have to do it in a way that respects human dignity.

The antiterrorist campaign has paved the way to normalizing the two countries' military ties, cut three years ago because of human rights abuses. It allows aid to flow again to the military. It is not an exaggeration to say that the current antiterrorist campaign makes TNI the victor.

The plan to resume the International Military Education and Training (IMET) as well as the involvement of Indonesian officers in a counter-terrorism fellowship program, provided by the U.S., will help the TNI to improve its capability or to improve its military organization within a democratic system.

One cannot deny the importance of the military factor in combating terrorism. The TNI must therefore be extra careful in using its military assistance so as not to create the impression that they are using the aid for other purposes other than defending the nation against any possible external threats.

Critics say that providing the Indonesian Military with new arsenals and other equipment is ineffective in curbing radical groups, arguing that the U.S. should not commit violence against such groups, to prevent resistance growing even stronger.

It is unlikely that U.S. troops will set their boots on Indonesian soil as they did in the Philippines, but even without this, the actions of so-called radical groups have already generated fears. Indonesia therefore should not also ignore the possibility of such groups serving as a kind of proxy of international militant groups linked to the al-Qaeda network. This is where Indonesia needs to have reliable intelligence networking to detect the linkage and the capability to deal with terrorist elements, and this can be accomplished only with the cooperation of other countries.

The global war on terror will be a long lasting one and the endurance of its strategy will be tested against the true commitment of the participants in the war. The war on terror has placed Indonesia on center stage in the international policy agenda of the U.S.; and the country cannot avoid being cited as a safe haven for terrorist activities unless it is willing to show to the region at least that it is not all mere talk about terrorism.

Although foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda has said that the country has done quite a lot since Sept. 11, the question remains as to how far Indonesia is willing to go in the war against terror, and whether Indonesia will maintain its main defense that some preachers merely sound "radical", and that they are not terrorists.