107 ex-terrorists aligned with IS, al-Qaeda pledge allegiance to Indonesia
They were Jamaah Ansharud Dawlah and Jamaah Islamiyah members.
BANTEN: A total of 107 former members of the Indonesian terror groups aligned with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have pledged allegiance to the state of Indonesia.
The pledge of allegiance was carried out at the Central Government Area, Serang City, Banten province, it has been reported.
These former members of the pro-Islamic State Jamaah Ansharud Dawlah (JAD) and Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) aligned with al-Qaeda made the pledge and kissed the Indonesian flag during the ceremony.
They vowed to abandon and stay away from all forms of understanding and activities that divide the Republic of Indonesia.
Director of anti-terror prevention at counterterrorism force Densus 88, Brig. Gen. Tubagus Ami Prindani, said some of the former extremists had not known that the JAD and JI networks were terror organisations.
"So this is one of our efforts to resolve crimes without enforcing the law, because after all, when they join a terror network…however, sometimes they just join in, they are just forced to," Ami reportedly told journalists in Serang on Wednesday (Nov. 15), adding explanations and socialisation made them realise their mistakes and want to leave the terror groups.
The pledge of allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia is an effort by Densus 88 to return them to society. After they make the pledge, their rights as citizens will be given attention.Â
"So this is necessary so that there is clarity and this is also our effort to pressure those who are still members so that they too all return to the Republic of Indonesia," he said.
Ami said such events by Densus 88 have been carried out every year. He also warned that those who refuse to return to the fold of the Republic of Indonesia will be curbed.
After the pledge-of-loyalty ceremony, the former JAD and JI members joined programmes by the government to ensure they do not return to their old group.
"Of course, it's not monitoring anymore, it's just providing other activities so they don't go back because sometimes there are still attempts by the old groups to pull them back, so this is what we have to guard against," he concluded.
JAD carried out a series of suicide bombings against churches and police headquarters in recent years in Indonesia and the southern Philippines.
JI was responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings and 2003 Jakarta Marriott hotel bombing that together took over 200 lives.