Residents can help safeguard Jakarta from extremists: authorities

Police and security agencies say civic responsibility helps combat threats posed by ISIS and other extremist groups.

By Alisha Nurhayati for Khabar Southeast Asia in Jakarta

November 15, 2014
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Authorities are calling on residents of Indonesia's capital region to help shield it from potential terrorist acts by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other militant groups, by watching for and reporting suspicious activity.

  •  Police spokesman Nanan Soekarna holds a profile of suspected terrorist Syaifudin Zuhri in Jakarta in 2009. Captured that same year, Syaifudin was linked to the July 2009 suicide bomb attacks on the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels in Jakarta. [Bay Ismoyo/AFP]

    Police spokesman Nanan Soekarna holds a profile of suspected terrorist Syaifudin Zuhri in Jakarta in 2009. Captured that same year, Syaifudin was linked to the July 2009 suicide bomb attacks on the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels in Jakarta. [Bay Ismoyo/AFP]

Officials say the public's assistance is needed to keep the region, which is home to more than 28 million people, secure.

"Jakarta is the heart of our country, and so we remind everyone that this is all our responsibility as citizens," Jakarta Police chief Unggung Cahyono told Khabar Southeast Asia. "It is better to prevent rather to regret."

Unggung said his department is urging Jakarta residents, leaders and satellite cities to remain vigilant for militant-related activities.

"We have realised that within the last three years, major terrorist arrests were conducted around Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi)," Unggung said.

National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) analyst Sri Yunanto said an attack on Jakarta would also harm the national economy.

"So we have to continue to be on alert," Sri told Khabar.

Meanwhile, police and other security agencies are co-operating to protect Jabodetabek from terrorist threats, National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said.

"We work with the district-level military personnel known as Babinsa ( Bintara Pembina Desa ), local police and leaders of neighbourhood communities," he told Khabar.

Bad memory

Jakarta is not immune from terrorism, as extremists have targeted the region with lethal results.

Resident Zaulkifi Salim remembers the July 17th, 2009 suicide bombings at the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels , which killed at least six people and injured dozens more.

"It was horrible. I saw all the fears and tears from those who lost their loved ones . Muslims were angry with the terrorist actions," Zaulkifi told Khabar. "Attacking Westerners in the name of jihad is obviously wrong.

"I was born and raised here. We witness various kinds of violence, and therefore, we will commit to help the authorities stop any wrong activities under wrong teachings of Islam."

Reader Comments
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    • H La Hamisu
      November 20, 2014 @ 06:11:41PM
    • There are so many Islamic organizations in Indonesia that, in every action they take, proclaim the phrase "Allah is Great". With those sacred words, those who hear it should have felt at ease, minorities should have felt protected, possessions should have been safe and secure, roads should have been clear of any obstructions because those who shout out that phrase should have put the public interests first. But, unfortunately, these days when people hear those sacred words together, they avoid it, they move away from the direction of those sacred words. The minorities have grown afraid, where would they go to save themselves. Whole buildings crumble to pieces, roads blocked by rocks, wood and old burning tires. How different it was when that sacred phrase was chanted by Muslim heroes in the past when they entered France from the Pyrenees mountains, occupying Sicily, conquering Constantinople, etc.

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