A new
anti-terror squad could raise old concerns in the country.
On Tuesday, the Indonesian military (TNI)
launched a new counterterrorism squad called the TNI Joint Special Operations
Command or Koopsusgab. While the move clearly illustrates Jakarta’s
determination to eradicate the terrorism threat, it is also likely to heighten
anxieties about the military’s growing role in the country.
The new
squad is the latest sign that the Indonesian government is stepping up its
efforts to combat the Islamic State (IS) threat. As I have reported previously,
while numbers vary, hundreds of Indonesians have already joined IS abroad. In
addition, several extremist cells are operating within Indonesia and are
engaged in recruitment, indoctrination and some military training, including in
Poso where security forces mounted operations earlier this year.
Indonesian
officials say Koopsusgab will be a further boost to their counter-terrorism
efforts. The group, which will reportedly be stationed in Sentul, West Java,
will be an elite, inter-service team comprising 81 trained counter-terrorism
personnel from the Army, the Navy’s special forces and the Air Force’s Bravo 90
special forces unit. The lean and capable force will also enable it to be
deployed quickly to hotspots as they arise. “They are ready to fight terrorism
at any second,” Indonesia’s outgoing military chief General Moeldoko boasted to local news
portal Kompas.
Yet the
new group is also likely to invoke old concerns. In particular, some worry that
this is the latest sign that the military seeking to wrest control of the
counter-terrorism realm from police, thereby intensifying turf battles between
the two and undermining efforts. There is already evidence of a lack of
coordination and overt competition playing out, including when the two carried
out large operations in Poso earlier this year. Given the fierce rivalry
between the two, Sidney Jones, head of Jakarta-based Institute for Policy
Analysis of Conflict, has argued that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo may be
better served leaving counter-terrorism to the police – including Detachment
88, a highly-capable counter-terrorism unit – instead of supporting a greater
role for the military.
As of
now, the exact mandate of this new organization and its relationship with other
agencies remain vague. Indonesia’s coordinating minister for Political, Legal
and Human Rights Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno has suggested that the
Koopsusgab may be used not only for terrorism, “but also to [address] other
issues related to security,” including escorting officials or death-row inmates.
Unless this broad set of responsibilities is clarified, it will make those
worried about military encroachment even more nervous. In addition, the new
squad can reportedly be deployed either by direct request from Detachment 88 or
by presidential orders. But there is little guidance about when each of the
approval methods will be used, in spite of the fact that this could play a
significant role in the balance of power between the military and the police.
With
these concerns in mind, observers will be watching closely to see how
Koopsusgab will operate in practice, as well as how it affects the relationship
between Indonesia’s military and police in the counterterrorism realm. The
Diplomat
No comments:
Post a Comment