A terror attack on the Astanaanyar has shown that those convicted of terrorism can potentially commit an act of terror again. Overcoming this risk by means of deradicalization will be a collective effort.
By
Kompas Team
·6 minutes read
MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA
Police officers stand guard within a 100 meter radius from the Astanaanyar Police Office, Bandung City, West Java, Wednesday (7/12/2022), after the suicide bomb explosion that occurred there..
BANDUNG, KOMPAS – The suicide-bomb attack at the Astanaanyar subprecinct Police (Polsek) in Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday (7/12/2022) showed that the deradicalization of terrorism convicts is no easy process. Agus Sujatno, a terrorism convict who was released in October 2021, was identified as the suicide bomber. Agus, who served his sentence at the Nusakambangan Penitentiary, was known to be having difficulty with the deradicalization process and is suspected to have been affiliated with the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) terrorist group.
The attack was carried out by Agus when several police officers were holding a rally in the courtyard of the Astaanyar Polsek at 8:20 a.m. Based on information gathered by the West Java Regional Police, Agus suddenly arrived at the scene on a motorcycle and approached a member of the police at the gathering. According to West Java regional Police chief Insp. Gen. Suntana, two policemen then tried to stop him, but Agus brandished a sharp weapon. Shortly thereafter, Suntana said, an explosion occurred.
The explosion killed a police officer, Adj. Insp. Satu Sofyan, and injured nine officers and one resident named Nurhasanah, who was passing by in front of the police station. The explosion damaged the lobby of the police station. Agus also died in the attack.
Shortly after the explosion occurred, at around 10:45 a.m., the police detonated another bomb that was allegedly brought by Agus.
National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, when visiting the site of the suicide-bomb attack on Wednesday (7/12) afternoon, said that Agus was identified as the perpetrator according to fingerprints and facial recognition. Agus, also known as Agus Muslim, was proven to have been involved in the 2017 terror attack in Cicendo, Bandung, which was carried out by Yayat Cahdiyat, or Abu Salam.
After the Cicendo bombing, Agus was sentenced to four years imprisonment until he was released in October 2021. Meanwhile, Yayat died during the attack. Like Agus, Yayat was also previously imprisoned for three years for his involvement in several robberies in Bekasi that were committed by the terror group led by Agus Marsal. The money from the robberies were used to buy bullets and were sent to Jalin Jantho, Aceh Besar, where the war games were held (Kompas, 28/2/2017).
KOMPAS
National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, said the perpetrators of the Suicide Bombing on the Astanaanyar subprecinct police, Wednesday (7/12/2022) were former terrorist convicts.
Listyo said that Agus still belonged in the “red” category even after his release. Agus was also suspected of being affiliated with the JAD terror group. “The deradicalization process requires different techniques and tactics. He [Agus] was still difficult to talk to and tended to avoid despite being active,” he said.
As of Wednesday, the police are investigating a leaflet that rejected the draft Criminal Code bill (RKUHP) that was found on Agus’ motorcycle. The leaflet mentions the issue of adultery.
Meanwhile, the National Police’s counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, searched a rented house in Sukoharjo, Central Java, which was linked to the suicide-bomb attack carried out by Agus. Sukoharjo resort police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Wahyu Nugroho said the search lasted 15 minutes and no items were confiscated because the house was empty.
Not easy
Terrorism-observer Hasibullah Satrawi said that the attack at Astaanyar Polsek showed that the deradicalization process for terrorism convicts like Agus is no easy task. There is no guarantee that terrorism convicts will change in a matter of years.
“During deradicalization, even the slightest changes must be respected. For example, getting people who initially refused food from prison officials to eat is extraordinary on its own,” said the head of the Indonesian Peace Alliance Foundation.
He also encouraged other agencies, such as the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and the Law and Human Rights Ministry, to cooperate and run a deradicalization program after ex-convicts are released. “The approach should not be the same for everyone. Find the root cause of their involvement in terrorism and solve the issue,” he said.
Moreover, until now, there are still terrorism convicts that are free of punishment. This includes Hisham bin Alizein, also known as Umar Patek, a convict of the Bali terror attack, who was released from a Class I prison in Surabaya, East Java, under parole on Wednesday (7/12).
The Law and Human Rights Ministry’s Directorate General of Corrections, Public Relations and Protocol coordinator, Rika Aprianti, explained that Umar Patek was given conditional release, which included, among others, attending deradicalization training and pledging his allegiance to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). “Conditional release was also recommended by the BNPT,” she said.
TANGKAPAN LAYAR
Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Mahfud MD visited the site of the suicide bombing at the Astanaanyar subprecinct police, Bandung, West Java, Wednesday (7/12/2022).
The University of Indonesia criminologist Ardi Putra Prasetya said that terrorists must obtain several things during the deradicalization process.
This includes trust in the law, integration, social relations and situational opportunities. If unfulfilled, they would potentially reoffend.
Going forward, Ardi sees the Astaanyar terror attack as a turning point for all parties to regard the problem of terrorism more seriously.
He hopes that security forces across the region would strengthen because an incident like this could trigger similar incidents elsewhere.
Increasing vigilance
Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD also emphasized that the police, Densus 88 and BNPT must take action by increasing their vigilance. The Astaanyar attack shows that terrorist networks still exist, although terror cases have quantitatively decreased since 2018.
“This is proof that there are still terror attacks that lead to casualties,” he said.
According to Kompas records, the Astanaanyar attack was the first suicide-bomb attack in 2022. In 2021, a suicide bomb occurred at the gate of the Makassar Cathedral Church in South Sulawesi.
Mahfud also emphasized that terrorists are the enemies of humanity, religion and all adherents of religion. There, terrorism must be faced with caution.
He also asked for understanding from the public so they would understand if law enforcers acted decisively against terrorist groups. Do not allow their firm actions to be criminalized.
This is proof that there are still terror attacks that lead to casualties.
Spokesperson for Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, Masduki Baidlowi, also said that the VP asked law enforcement and security forces to be vigilant. The attack in Astanaanyar reflected that the seeds of terrorism in the name of religion continue to grow.
BNPT head Comr. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said the BNPT, along with the West Java Regional Police and Densus 88, would focus on finding out who assisted the perpetrators of the explosion. For this reason, an investigation is needed, among other things, by examining the perpetrator’s close contacts.
Boy said that the BNPT was not caught off-guard by the bomb attack this time. According to him, acts of terrorism are always done by looking for openings in the implemented safeguards. “The BNPT are always on standby, but perpetrators are always look for openings to carry out their deeds,” he said. (RTG/CHE/IKI/DKA/XTI/DEA/CAS/INA/NAD)
