July 18, 2011
The youth wing of the country’s largest Islamic group announced on Sunday that it had formed a special unit aimed at countering radicalization and terrorist threats, and would even take up the job of defusing bombs.
The unit from Ansor, the youth offshoot of Nahdlatul Ulama, is called Banser Densus 99, short for Multipurpose Front Special Detachment 99, in a nod to Densus 88, the National Police’s counterterrorism unit.
Nurson Wahid, Ansor’s chairman, said with social problems leading to radicalization growing ever more complex, the group saw an urgent need to set up a group to address these issues.
“Densus 99 is tasked with educating the public and conducting prevention campaigns against radicalization,” he said. “Densus 99 will also educate the public not to be provoked by radicals.”
Nurson said the unit was initially started in Cirebon, West Java, but had since grown and now had branches in the Central Java cities and districts of Solo, Klaten, Sukoharjo, Sragen and Karanganyar.
“We’re targeting to establish a Densus 99 branch in 17 regions,” he said. “So far we only have 204 members with Cirebon still our largest branch. But in future, we expect to have 99 personnel in each region, which will be in accordance with the 99 names for God.”
Nurson said Densus 99 would receive training from the police and develop skills such as martial arts proficiency and the ability to defuse explosive devices. But he added it would not go as far as launching raids against suspected terrorists.
“That’s the job of Densus 88 to conduct raids or attacks,” he said. “We’re not going to do that. Our job is more of a self-security one. Our task is to enlighten the public and educate them. Our members include various people, mostly preachers and religious leaders, who will provide that education.”
But Noor Huda Ismail, a security analyst from the International Peace Building Institute, criticized the formation of the unit, saying NU should be focusing on preventing its own Islamic boarding schools from being infiltrated by radicals, rather than taking up “confrontational tactics” with the establishment of Densus 99.
“It would be more effective for them to focus on the NU members who used to be devout, moderate Muslims but who have since become more radical,” he said. “Any attempt to use force to counter radicals could prove to be a losing prospect.”
Noor added that while all initiatives from civil society groups to prevent terrorism should be lauded, they needed to be accompanied by effective actions.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Ketut Untung Yoga Ana agreed that the role of religious organizations in tackling terrorism was through education and deradicalization efforts.
“Only law enforcement agencies have the authority to enforce the law,” he said, adding that police would not train civilians in specific skills such as defusing bombs.
Umbrellas are used to form the Indonesian flag during 85th anniversary celebrations for Nahdlatul Ulama, which has vowed to combat terrorism and radicalization.
(x the JG)
"Only law enforcement agencies have the authority to enforce the law,” he said,( our valiant Police chief) he forgot to say that quasi religious groups like the FPI shouldn't take the law into their own hands either! Tjonge-jonge, and the "agents 99" ( must have been watching Maxwell Smart on tv) defusing bombs? Crazy! There will be a few walking around (if they are lucky) without the usual apengages like fingers hands or worse! siK's musings.
zo 17 jul 2011 - 22:07