Non-Military Strategies To Combat Terrorism

The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and an intelligence communities have said it will strive to use non-military strategies to combat East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group members who remain at large.

The security authorities should not underestimate the power of MIT members in launching terror attacks, although the arrest of the group's leader Basri, alias Bagong, would weaken it further.
 
A radical mindset was unpredictable so that in many cases, militant group members pretended they had given up their struggle although in fact they continued to fight against parties they deemed to be their enemies. To reduce their resistance by applying a soft approach and hopefully they will understand that this nation has a bigger purpose and that to live side-by-side would be more comfortable than to continue to live a life filled with revenge, fear and suspicion.
 
BNPT Chief, Suhardi Alius said the BNPT would continue to implement a down-to-earth approach, saying the agency's officials were scheduled to visit Poso, Central Sulawesi, where the MIT was based. Suhardi has been committed to emphasizing a persuasive approach, in addition to the military approach the government used to combat terror groups. He aims to improve cooperation with religious leaders and civil society groups to enhance deradicalization efforts.

Earlier, Basri was arrested by authorities in South Poso Pesisir on Wednesday. He took over the MIT leadership after Santoso, alias Abu Wardah, was shot dead in an ambush on July 18. A counterterrorism official has said the arrest of East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) leader Basri, alias Bagong, in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on Wednesday, may further weaken the power of the terrorist group; however, security authorities should not underestimate the potential of the group's militants, who remain at large, in staging terror attacks.
Even though their power has been weakened, the possibility of an attack is still an enormous threat as these individuals are linked to global terrorist networks.
 
According to National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) deputy head of enforcement Arief Dharmawan, MIT members are linked to other terrorist groups.
Therefore, even if they only have a small supply of munitions, they could still initiate devastating attacks with the support of other terrorist groups.

The BNPT and an intelligence communities have been monitoring the movement of MIT and other terrorist groups in Indonesia. The agency was also increasing measures to curb the spread of radicalism and conduct comprehensive programs to deradicalize suspected militant group members in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Meanwhile, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Operation Tinombala task force have agreed to adopt a softer approach in the pursuit of the remaining members of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group still hiding in the forests of Poso in Central Sulawesi.

Operation Tinombala task force, Komnas HAM, humanitarian civil society organization Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) and local representatives held a meeting at the Central Sulawesi Police headquarters on Tuesday discussing the management of Poso amid the ongoing Operation Tinombala.
 
"We need to build a persuasive formula and take a softer approach in the arrest of the members," Komnas HAM commissioner Siane Indiraini said after the meeting referring to the 14 MIT members believed to still be hiding in the forests. She also urged the task force to treat the Poso terrorist suspects humanely so as to uphold human rights.

Poso has been home to Operation Tinombala since January. It is the largest joint operation between the police and Indonesian Military (TNI) with more than 3,000 personnel aimed at taking down the MIT terrorist group hiding in the mountainous forests of Poso.

Non-Military Strategies
   
In the perspective of an intelligence, non-military strategies is mean all of efforts to combat terrorism has a highful respect to human rights values, so that a violence, torture etc tactics don't allow on these context.

Therefore, a security specially an intelligence apparatus have been used adaptive, persuasive, uphold law and humanity values and condition strategies to attract the remaining of a terror members to surrender or with another way a security and an intelligence communities should be used soft approach rather than hard approach, because using hard approach has been vulnerability a human rights abuse. Even though a terror groups has been violated a human rights such as they beheaded their hostage, but the government apparatus couldn't be used a violence ones.
   
Just for note, a non-military strategies such as counter-narrative measures to minimalize a terror influence; using propaganda to decrease a terror members fighting spirit and in another one using counter propaganda to make public didn't trust on a terror influence or a terror paradigma; strengthening colloquy values in the society to reduce conflict among them; conditioning mass media with a significant purpose such as in the community of mass media have been comprehensive mindset to reject a terror manuevre which is using mass media as a tools; empowering prominant figure and an moderate and democratic mass organization to joint in the programme of deradicalization; the government must be implemented disengagement programe to a former a terror members who has been surrendered,  etc.
   
To implementing non-military strategies to combat terrorism is enough difficult because a terror group's and their supporters also using a same strategies to recruit and to influencing people specially youth people to be their member.

Therefore, the successful of non-military strategies is depend on whoever can get and win "heart and minds of the people", so truthness and steadfastness to be a crucial factor in non-military strategies.

*) The writer was earned his master at University of Indonesia (UI). Previously, he was earned bachelor degree at University of Jember (Unej) in East Java.