By: Gema Iva Kirana )*
Radicalism ahead of the 2024 election is a problem that needs to be anticipated. The government, through security institutions, continues to strive to suppress the spread of radicalism ahead of the elections so that the democratic party runs smoothly.
On the occasion of a visit by the Head of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), Komjen Pol. Prof. Dr. H. Rycko Amelza Dahniel, M.Si to the 3rd UN CT Week with the theme “Addressing Terrorism Through Reinvigorated Multilateralism and Institutional Cooperation” in New York, said that the Indonesian government is fully committed to strengthening global and domestic cooperation with a spirit of collaboration between government of Civil Society, Private Sector, Academics and Media (Pentahelix) which prioritizes the humanitarian side.
At the conference held by the United Nations Office for Counter Terrorism (UNOCT), the Head of BNPT RI conveyed BNPT’s strategic efforts in implementing deradicalization using a soft approach which aims to break the roots of radicalism ideology by directing children of BNPT partners to receive moderate schools in order to realize a better life. peace and harmony.
An example of the efforts carried out is by embracing the families and children of former terror perpetrators and sending these children to moderate Islamic schools. According to him, efforts to change the mindset of terror perpetrators and their families also aim to change the views and culture of violence they adhere to. These efforts are carried out with entrepreneurship programs to improve welfare to complete the sentence period which is an important part to pay attention to.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General, Antonio Gutteres, conveyed the importance of multilateral cooperation and the involvement of all stakeholders in each country in handling terrorism by upholding human rights values and the rule of law . On the sidelines of the conference, the Head of BNPT had the honor to take part in laying flowers in honor of victims and survivors of terrorism. This procession was the first procession ever held at UN headquarters.
Currently, the Indonesian nation is faced with the challenge of diversity and differences in beliefs among society. Extreme religious attitudes and behavior that do not respect and ignore human dignity are still often found in everyday life.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) has cut off access to 174 internet accounts and content that were indicated to contain indoctrination and the spread of radical ideas. This is Kominfo’s commitment to creating peaceful conditions ahead of the 2024 elections.
Kominfo collaborates with the Indonesian National Army and the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT). They continue to monitor all digital platforms that contain radicalism and terrorism content.
Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo) Budi Arie Setiadi also stated that the termination of access was carried out in accordance with Law Number 19 of 2016 concerning Amendments to Republic of Indonesia Law No. 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions.
The Minister of Communication and Information also asked the public to avoid spreading content that contains elements of radicalism, terrorism and separatism. If you find the existence of a site like that, the public can report it to aduankontent.id or the Twitter account @aduankonten.
On a different occasion, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo said that his party would take preventive action against attacks of radicalism and acts of terror. Two steps that will be taken to prevent radicalism are providing guidance to former terrorists and collaborating with religious institutions, so that they do not carry out actions that are against the law.
He also said that ahead of the election, many radical issues were being spread via social media, so the public was asked not to be easily provoked or incited by narratives with radical nuances.
The Vice President (Wapres) of the Republic of Indonesia, KH Ma’ruf Amin, said the same thing, who said that the radicalism movement would have the potential to grow ahead of the 2024 elections. He also said that people could use social media wisely, so that social media does not become fertile ground for radical narratives and hate speech.
He also asked for counter-radicalization steps to prevent the development of radicalism and also de-radicalization to return those who have been exposed by collaborating with all ministries and institutions. Therefore, there is a need for mutual cooperation in preventing the spread of radicalism and intolerance in Indonesia
Radicalism must of course be countered in a smart way so that it does not continue to spread, this spread will disrupt the election procession and increase the rate of abstention in Indonesia. Ignoring radicalism will of course increase the number of abstentions, even though the more abstentions there are, the more dangerous it will be for democratic life in Indonesia.
Radical ideas often infiltrate the realm of democracy, especially when ahead of an election, radical groups often use the election narrative to develop radical thoughts in the community so that they do not exercise their right to vote.
In Pancasila there are humanitarian principles and other principles, of course this ideology should be maintained. Radicalism must be prevented so that there is no conflict that harms human values. Indonesia is a diverse nation, not a country belonging to one group.
)* The author is a contributor to the Persada Institute
