Selasa, 19 April 2011
Indonesia needs holistic approach to terrorism
Again and again, bombs have exploded in this country. On Friday, a suicide bomber, 31-year-old Muchammad Syarif, killed himself and wounded at least 26 people when his bomb exploded inside a mosque at Cirebon Police Headquarters in West Java. The bomb went off just as the Friday prayers were about to begin.
This latest suicide attack suggests that terrorism in Indonesia is becoming invincible and unpredictable.
Last month, book bombs were sent to various places targeting individuals. Now, the targets are not just churches, foreigners, moderate Muslims and sect members, but also mosques.
As a matter of fact, efforts to target mosques have occurred before, first at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta in 1999 and then at a Yogyakarta mosque in 2000.
In recent years, Indonesia has been rocked by a series of bombings staged by the regional terror network Jamaah Islamiyah, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.
The last was carried out by two suicide bombers who killed seven people at two luxury Jakarta hotels in July 2009.
The suicide attack on the Cirebon Police mosque reminds us that a holistic approach to terrorism is of paramount significance.
Relying too much on the state apparatus such as police to arrest the perpetrators and masterminds of this cruel assault and impose the death sentence on them is far from adequate. The approach should at least entails the following measures:
First, it is of urgent importance to pass the new intelligence bill due to public potshots at its toothlessness. Continued violence, bomb threats and suicide bombing befalling this country have been clear signs of our slow counterterrorism drive. Both the House of Representatives and the government should arrive at meeting of minds and scrap controversial points.
Monitoring, for instance, is necessary only to gather information on suspicious individuals and designate particular networks or organizations as terrorist groups when conditions are met.
The state intelligence agency must not lose its fight against both physical and symbolic terrorism campaigns. Additional funds for intelligence agencies for their work will help the government work more effectively.
However, the control of the intelligence organization by the House and civil society is no compromise. Ignoring arbitrary and extensive monitoring of targeted individuals or groups means an act of infringement upon one’s privacy, which is unconstitutional.
The scrutiny of citizens’ phone conversations, email correspondence and articles posted on Internet community boards, by police, the prosecution and the state spy agency should not be intensified just because a series of bombings has rocked this country recently.
Second, the police and state spy agency must not look for scapegoats and become distrustful of Muslim groups, but work with them instead.
The terror attack on a mosque strongly indicates that Islam is not compatible with terrorism, but is being hijacked.
Defeating terrorism is not possible using only a traditional security approach.
All steps must be taken, including the curbing of dangerous ideologies that help spread the message of terrorism to hearts and minds.
Hence, antiterrorism efforts must involve civil society groups, in the context of resisting the spread of terror ideology.
Many groups in Indonesia that are vulnerable to such ideologies can be infiltrated and changed only by organizations like the NU, Muhammadiyah and other Muslim organizations, rather than the police.
While acknowledging that Islam is not terrorism and terrorism is not Islam, longer-term solutions can be oriented toward ostracizing radicalism and promoting tolerance.
Strong and continued rejection of such ideas in mosques and schools should be carried out extended to all places of worship.
Mosques and Islamic boarding schools must be made front lines in the battle against terrorism. Didn’t Prophet Muhammad say that any Muslims inciting hatred against non-Muslims were not his ummat (followers)?
Third, it is crucial for police to get groups of people involved in combating acts of terrorism. The police and universities may hold regular training and meetings involving youth organizations, school teachers and neighborhood leaders on how terrorists act and move within society.
The public might be introduced to a “nomad strategy”, which is used by terrorists to keep themselves in disguise.
People may take initiatives to be more vigilant in monitoring their areas for suspicious activities through intensifying their community-based security systems (Siskamling) to deter terrorists from establishing base camps.
However, it is not necessarily about being aware of new faces in their neighborhoods, but also old residents acting suspiciously or limiting their interactions with their neighbors.
Fourth, increasing the prosperity of the people is major key to fighting terrorism. The longer-term fight against terrorism, however, will be to continue economic growth and to improve living standards.
If the poor and lower income groups, which are the main recruiting pools for terrorists, see that they have a bright future and hope, they will be less likely to be attracted to the militant doctrine. Poverty is a weakness that terrorists are only too eager to exploit.
It is no secret that suicide bombers are generally from a low-income background. Besides executing the hard approach of using the security to combat terrorists, the soft approach of offering a better future for the poor is equally important in efforts to root out the menace of terrorism in this country.
The writer, a graduate of University of Canberra, teaches politics and culture at Andalas University, Padang.
This latest suicide attack suggests that terrorism in Indonesia is becoming invincible and unpredictable.
Last month, book bombs were sent to various places targeting individuals. Now, the targets are not just churches, foreigners, moderate Muslims and sect members, but also mosques.
As a matter of fact, efforts to target mosques have occurred before, first at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta in 1999 and then at a Yogyakarta mosque in 2000.
In recent years, Indonesia has been rocked by a series of bombings staged by the regional terror network Jamaah Islamiyah, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.
The last was carried out by two suicide bombers who killed seven people at two luxury Jakarta hotels in July 2009.
The suicide attack on the Cirebon Police mosque reminds us that a holistic approach to terrorism is of paramount significance.
Relying too much on the state apparatus such as police to arrest the perpetrators and masterminds of this cruel assault and impose the death sentence on them is far from adequate. The approach should at least entails the following measures:
First, it is of urgent importance to pass the new intelligence bill due to public potshots at its toothlessness. Continued violence, bomb threats and suicide bombing befalling this country have been clear signs of our slow counterterrorism drive. Both the House of Representatives and the government should arrive at meeting of minds and scrap controversial points.
Monitoring, for instance, is necessary only to gather information on suspicious individuals and designate particular networks or organizations as terrorist groups when conditions are met.
The state intelligence agency must not lose its fight against both physical and symbolic terrorism campaigns. Additional funds for intelligence agencies for their work will help the government work more effectively.
However, the control of the intelligence organization by the House and civil society is no compromise. Ignoring arbitrary and extensive monitoring of targeted individuals or groups means an act of infringement upon one’s privacy, which is unconstitutional.
The scrutiny of citizens’ phone conversations, email correspondence and articles posted on Internet community boards, by police, the prosecution and the state spy agency should not be intensified just because a series of bombings has rocked this country recently.
Second, the police and state spy agency must not look for scapegoats and become distrustful of Muslim groups, but work with them instead.
The terror attack on a mosque strongly indicates that Islam is not compatible with terrorism, but is being hijacked.
Defeating terrorism is not possible using only a traditional security approach.
All steps must be taken, including the curbing of dangerous ideologies that help spread the message of terrorism to hearts and minds.
Hence, antiterrorism efforts must involve civil society groups, in the context of resisting the spread of terror ideology.
Many groups in Indonesia that are vulnerable to such ideologies can be infiltrated and changed only by organizations like the NU, Muhammadiyah and other Muslim organizations, rather than the police.
While acknowledging that Islam is not terrorism and terrorism is not Islam, longer-term solutions can be oriented toward ostracizing radicalism and promoting tolerance.
Strong and continued rejection of such ideas in mosques and schools should be carried out extended to all places of worship.
Mosques and Islamic boarding schools must be made front lines in the battle against terrorism. Didn’t Prophet Muhammad say that any Muslims inciting hatred against non-Muslims were not his ummat (followers)?
Third, it is crucial for police to get groups of people involved in combating acts of terrorism. The police and universities may hold regular training and meetings involving youth organizations, school teachers and neighborhood leaders on how terrorists act and move within society.
The public might be introduced to a “nomad strategy”, which is used by terrorists to keep themselves in disguise.
People may take initiatives to be more vigilant in monitoring their areas for suspicious activities through intensifying their community-based security systems (Siskamling) to deter terrorists from establishing base camps.
However, it is not necessarily about being aware of new faces in their neighborhoods, but also old residents acting suspiciously or limiting their interactions with their neighbors.
Fourth, increasing the prosperity of the people is major key to fighting terrorism. The longer-term fight against terrorism, however, will be to continue economic growth and to improve living standards.
If the poor and lower income groups, which are the main recruiting pools for terrorists, see that they have a bright future and hope, they will be less likely to be attracted to the militant doctrine. Poverty is a weakness that terrorists are only too eager to exploit.
It is no secret that suicide bombers are generally from a low-income background. Besides executing the hard approach of using the security to combat terrorists, the soft approach of offering a better future for the poor is equally important in efforts to root out the menace of terrorism in this country.
The writer, a graduate of University of Canberra, teaches politics and culture at Andalas University, Padang.
Govt Aims High With Economic Development Pla
Indonesia expects to become the world’s 12th-largest economy by 2025 through stimulating domestic growth with its planned economic corridor scheme and programs to improve regional connectivity.
A document from the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy obtained by the Berita Satu Media Group on Monday showed that the government has targeted boosting gross domestic product to between $3.8 trillion and $4.5 trillion in 2025 from $700 billion in 2010, when the country was the 17th-largest economy.
Per capita income will also be raised to between $13,000 and 16,100 in 2025 from last year’s $3,005, the document said.
The “Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development [MP3EI] through 2025” designates six regions as main economic corridors. Total investment of Rp 3,348 trillion is needed for infrastructure development as well as economic activities, it says.
The government expects state-owned enterprises to pour money in the promoted regions, but it also called on the private sector to participate.
Vice President Boediono told reporters on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of government and business representatives at the Bogor State Palace that the government would offer incentives for mining as well as manufacturing activities in the six priority regions.
“We will ease requirements for the flow of goods so we can link domestic economic activity to global trade” he said.
Sumatra will be developed as an agricultural and energy center, while Kalimantan will see a focus on mining and energy and Sulawesi and North Maluku on agriculture and fisheries. Bali and East and West Nusa Tenggara will focus on tourism and supporting national food self-sufficiency, Papua and Maluku will focus on natural and human resources and Java on industry and services.
Java island will get the bulk of investment at Rp 1,079 trillion, followed by Kalimantan with Rp 703.9 trillion, Papua-Maluku with Rp 602.2 trillion and Sumatra with Rp 545.7 trillion.
The government vowed to tackle the infrastructure bottlenecks that hamper economic growth, including by speeding up the revision of building-related laws and curbing conflicting regulations at the central and regional levels. It said it would also provide more fiscal incentives and ease business licensing.
The document says the government expects to “connect remote areas with better infrastructure in order to share the benefits of development with more people.”
Regarding infrastructural constraints, the document said none of the 25 key seaports across the nation could serve as a global hub while the main international airport, Soekarno-Hatta in Cengkareng, Tangerang, was already overcrowded.
The government plans at least two global marine hubs and two air hubs to provide better gateways to the eastern and western parts of Indonesia.
A document from the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy obtained by the Berita Satu Media Group on Monday showed that the government has targeted boosting gross domestic product to between $3.8 trillion and $4.5 trillion in 2025 from $700 billion in 2010, when the country was the 17th-largest economy.
Per capita income will also be raised to between $13,000 and 16,100 in 2025 from last year’s $3,005, the document said.
The “Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development [MP3EI] through 2025” designates six regions as main economic corridors. Total investment of Rp 3,348 trillion is needed for infrastructure development as well as economic activities, it says.
The government expects state-owned enterprises to pour money in the promoted regions, but it also called on the private sector to participate.
Vice President Boediono told reporters on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of government and business representatives at the Bogor State Palace that the government would offer incentives for mining as well as manufacturing activities in the six priority regions.
“We will ease requirements for the flow of goods so we can link domestic economic activity to global trade” he said.
Sumatra will be developed as an agricultural and energy center, while Kalimantan will see a focus on mining and energy and Sulawesi and North Maluku on agriculture and fisheries. Bali and East and West Nusa Tenggara will focus on tourism and supporting national food self-sufficiency, Papua and Maluku will focus on natural and human resources and Java on industry and services.
Java island will get the bulk of investment at Rp 1,079 trillion, followed by Kalimantan with Rp 703.9 trillion, Papua-Maluku with Rp 602.2 trillion and Sumatra with Rp 545.7 trillion.
The government vowed to tackle the infrastructure bottlenecks that hamper economic growth, including by speeding up the revision of building-related laws and curbing conflicting regulations at the central and regional levels. It said it would also provide more fiscal incentives and ease business licensing.
The document says the government expects to “connect remote areas with better infrastructure in order to share the benefits of development with more people.”
Regarding infrastructural constraints, the document said none of the 25 key seaports across the nation could serve as a global hub while the main international airport, Soekarno-Hatta in Cengkareng, Tangerang, was already overcrowded.
The government plans at least two global marine hubs and two air hubs to provide better gateways to the eastern and western parts of Indonesia.
Indonesia Economic Outlook 2011
ndonesia’s Economic Outlook 2010 & 2011: Better than initially projected
Domestic economic growth will reach 5.5-6.0% in 2010 and increase to 6.0-6.5% in 2011. Therefore, Indonesia’s economic prospects are better than initially projected. “On the back of strong domestic demand, improvements will principally stem from externalities in line with the global economic recovery, as evidenced by solid export growth since Quarter-IV 2009,” explained the Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, Hartadi A. Sarwono.
The global economic recovery is clearly visible from a number of economic indicators in industrialized countries (United States and Japan) as well as in Asia (China and India). In the United States, a recovery is evidenced by stronger private consumption coupled with a rise in production. Meanwhile, Japan began to experience positive economic growth in the final quarter of 2009. In China and India, indications of an economic recovery were clearly visible from the high rate of economic growth. Such improvements will have a positive impact on trade partner countries, including Indonesia.
The global economic recovery will bolster the external sector of Indonesia’s economy. Non-oil/gas exports from Indonesia in Quarter-IV 2009 recorded expansive growth, reaching 17%. The rise in exports did not only emanate from mining and agricultural commodities, but also from exports of manufacturing commodities. This precipitated stronger-than-expected growth in the industrial and trade sectors. Meanwhile, import activities increased slightly as a result of the surge in exports, however, at a lower level. The current account is expected to run a larger surplus in Quarter-I 2010 than originally projected. Furthermore, foreign investor confidence in Indonesia’s economic outlook is improving as reflected by a surplus in capital and financial transactions. With the range of developments mentioned, this year of 2010 as a whole will witness a greater surplus in the BoP than initially projected. “There remains 1 more notch until Indonesia reaches investment grade, which will bolster foreign investor confidence and boost investment in Indonesia”, explained Hartadi with the Fitch sovereign rating for Indonesia improving to BB+ from BB recently.
In addition to stronger export performance, private consumption has also indicated an improvement. This was confirmed by increases in a number of consumption indicators such as imports of consumption goods, automobile and motorcycle sales, and retail sales. In future, household consumption growth is expected to rise further in accordance with higher income as a result of the income effect from increased exports and consumer confidence.
Regarding prices, inflationary pressures will remain insignificant, at least in Semester-I 2010. Inflation during the first two months of 2010 has remained low. Relatively controllable inflation is also reflected by the decline in core inflation from 4.43% (y-o-y) in January 2010 to 3.88% (y-o-y) in February 2010. The rise in headline inflation at the beginning of 2010 was proven to be temporary, in particular due to the hike in rice process, and is not expected to rise again for the next few months in line with the upcoming harvests across the country. The possibility of a rise in the basic electricity tariff, if realized, is not expected to trigger any large impact on inflation if applied to the larger customers. Holistically, inflation is projected to remain within its target corridor of 5%+1% in 2010 and 2011. “I am convinced that the rise in domestic economic activity will not exceed the level of potential output and, therefore, not spur excessive inflationary pressures fundamentally”, stressed Hartadi.
Domestic economic growth will reach 5.5-6.0% in 2010 and increase to 6.0-6.5% in 2011. Therefore, Indonesia’s economic prospects are better than initially projected. “On the back of strong domestic demand, improvements will principally stem from externalities in line with the global economic recovery, as evidenced by solid export growth since Quarter-IV 2009,” explained the Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, Hartadi A. Sarwono.
The global economic recovery is clearly visible from a number of economic indicators in industrialized countries (United States and Japan) as well as in Asia (China and India). In the United States, a recovery is evidenced by stronger private consumption coupled with a rise in production. Meanwhile, Japan began to experience positive economic growth in the final quarter of 2009. In China and India, indications of an economic recovery were clearly visible from the high rate of economic growth. Such improvements will have a positive impact on trade partner countries, including Indonesia.
The global economic recovery will bolster the external sector of Indonesia’s economy. Non-oil/gas exports from Indonesia in Quarter-IV 2009 recorded expansive growth, reaching 17%. The rise in exports did not only emanate from mining and agricultural commodities, but also from exports of manufacturing commodities. This precipitated stronger-than-expected growth in the industrial and trade sectors. Meanwhile, import activities increased slightly as a result of the surge in exports, however, at a lower level. The current account is expected to run a larger surplus in Quarter-I 2010 than originally projected. Furthermore, foreign investor confidence in Indonesia’s economic outlook is improving as reflected by a surplus in capital and financial transactions. With the range of developments mentioned, this year of 2010 as a whole will witness a greater surplus in the BoP than initially projected. “There remains 1 more notch until Indonesia reaches investment grade, which will bolster foreign investor confidence and boost investment in Indonesia”, explained Hartadi with the Fitch sovereign rating for Indonesia improving to BB+ from BB recently.
In addition to stronger export performance, private consumption has also indicated an improvement. This was confirmed by increases in a number of consumption indicators such as imports of consumption goods, automobile and motorcycle sales, and retail sales. In future, household consumption growth is expected to rise further in accordance with higher income as a result of the income effect from increased exports and consumer confidence.
Regarding prices, inflationary pressures will remain insignificant, at least in Semester-I 2010. Inflation during the first two months of 2010 has remained low. Relatively controllable inflation is also reflected by the decline in core inflation from 4.43% (y-o-y) in January 2010 to 3.88% (y-o-y) in February 2010. The rise in headline inflation at the beginning of 2010 was proven to be temporary, in particular due to the hike in rice process, and is not expected to rise again for the next few months in line with the upcoming harvests across the country. The possibility of a rise in the basic electricity tariff, if realized, is not expected to trigger any large impact on inflation if applied to the larger customers. Holistically, inflation is projected to remain within its target corridor of 5%+1% in 2010 and 2011. “I am convinced that the rise in domestic economic activity will not exceed the level of potential output and, therefore, not spur excessive inflationary pressures fundamentally”, stressed Hartadi.
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