By: Iboy Sandi *)
Jakarta – CIDISS. As an archipelago (archipelagic state), Indonesia is geographically located in a strategic position that is located between two continents (Asia and Australia continent), and two oceans (the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean). With such geographical location, causing Indonesia is bordered by many countries either bordering on land and at sea. This position on the one hand provides a great opportunity for Indonesia, but on the other hand also provides a variety of challenges and threats.
Related to the border on land, Indonesia borders with three countries which are Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste. The continental border regions spread across the three islands, four provinces and fifteen districts/cities that each region has different characteristics of the border areas. Even the sea border Indonesia that so many, and very prone to be used as the entrance to the actors terrorists to further spread its radical to supply weapons for acts of terrorism, one of them in the North Sulawesi with geographical location bordering the Philippines and lip Pacific Ocean.
Radicalism in the border area itself into one of the extension of the Government of Indonesia, as stated by the Head of the Indonesian National Police (Police Chief) General Badrodin Haiti recently, which gives attention to every police chief, whose land borders with other nations for must secure three things in border areas, one of which is related to radicalism. Even the Minister of Internal Affairs (Home Affairs) Tjahjo Kumolo on 1 April 2016, said it will build border fortifications in 187,000 districts in Indonesia is targeted to be completed in three years, to prevent the inflow of foreigners, radicalism and a drug that is expected to countering radicalism and terrorism in the NKRI.
Indonesia’s regions bordering the outside of this country, became one of the most vulnerable and easy to be infiltrated actors of terrorism and radicalism. There is still a lack of infrastructure in the border region as a lack of monitoring posts on the borders of a gap for certain persons to enter the territory of Indonesia and carry radical ideologies, not to mention the lack of means of communication in border area make it difficult to monitor by the government. So that the seeds of radicalism got a gap to develop in the border area of NKRI.
Therefore, government measures to give attention to the border areas in order to prevent the entry of radicalism are already right. With policies that support the strengthening of the border as the entrance to NKRI as the construction of outposts or fortified border, in addition to monitoring the flow of exit and entry of foreign nationals as well as goods from neighboring countries, is also expected to provide a double effect on the development of infrastructure at the border so as to improve the welfare for the people in the border region. It is very important that the people on the border feel the presence of the government in the middle of the community as stated by President Joko Widodo so with such conditions are expected in the border communities are not easily persuaded to follow the radical ideology. [IS]
*) Jakarta Contributor
