Preventing Development Of ISIS In West Papua

JAKARTA, July 12 (Antara) - Security officials in the Indonesian province of West Papua continue to make all out efforts to prevent the development of the ISIS group in West Papua. People in West Papua continue to uphold the spirit of Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) to lead a harmonious way of life despite the cultural, ethnic, and religious diversities. Therefore, the movement of terrorism in any form, and the development of the ISIS group will continue to be prevented in the province. West Papua Police Chief Brigadier General Martuani Sormin Siregar remarked in the provincial city of Manokwari on Monday that a man suspected of being a supporter of the ISIS group was arrested in the town of Sorong late Sunday. Siregar stated that the man known by his initial as as A was arrested by the police on the basis of a development in the last few days, and now the culprit is being held at the Sorong city police station for further investigation. "We hold the man to trace further on the extent of his influence on the ISIS group, because in the search conducted at his home, we found five books on ISIS," he said. According to Siregar, the presence of the man known as A is considered dangerous because of his support for the development of the ISIS group in West Papua. He noted that the police investigate the involvement of A, including his influence on the dissemination of ISIS supporters in the province. Siregar remarked that he had instructed the Resort Police in every district to anticipate any potential threat of terror in their respective regions. "We must be more careful because the Police, as the vanguard in eradicating terrorism, are themselves the target of terror acts," Siregar noted. To optimally maintain interfaith harmony in West Papua, the Police are cooperating with the local Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to prevent the entry of misleading ideology in the area. West Papua has its own local wisdom of living in harmony with people of different religious groups, not only between the native Papuans but also with other islanders from Java, Sulawesi, Bali, and Maluku. People in the province follow the motto of "Satu Tungku Tiga Batu," or Three Stones in One Stove," which has been passed down generations for upholding religious harmony. The motto bears similarity to Bhineka Tunggal Ika, or Unity in Diversity, that also upholds the spirit of tolerance, which has become the cornerstone of religious harmony in the province. This principle is a metaphor for one stove that is being supported by three stones in order to keep it from toppling down. The stones symbolize Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam that are commonly followed in Papua. The motto aims to promote togetherness, tolerance, and harmony. This is one of the examples of the spirit of tolerance and harmony in Papua. Hence, West Papua Police spokesman Adjunct Senior Commissioner Christian Rony Putra remarked that the Police and MUI can cooperate to prevent the spread of misleading ideology and radical movements in the area. To this end, Putra said they will continue to make every effort to stem out believers of misleading and radical ideology who can move in the province, especially in Manokwari. In the district of Mimika, Papua, all sections of communities t are able to cooperate to maintain communication by holding a dialog among adherents of different faiths to strengthen the values of tolerance and to co-exist in peace and perfect harmony. Developing the spirit of tolerance and mutual respect, which plays a key role in the relations among adherents of different faiths in Timika, is a valuable asset for the Indonesian nation in contributing to peace, particularly global peace. Understanding the theological basis of one's own religion can help maintain inter-religious harmony in society, as basically, every religion preaches peace and solidarity among its followers. Interfaith tolerance in society in Mimika comes naturally, as people truly understand and implement the basis of their own religion. Apart from having a good grasp of the theological basis of one's own religion, the people there also harbor a multicultural understanding to maintain inter-religious harmony. Multicultural understanding will allow the people to respect the uniqueness of their fellow human beings and to not negatively differentiate them based on race, culture, sex, or status in society. Therefore, all parties need to help monitor the threats of radicalism and terrorism, and increase vigilance. In Jakarta, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has stated that the threats of radicalism and terrorism have now become difficult to detect. "The challenges facing this nation are radicalism and terrorism that devastate our life, and they cannot be easily detected. It is difficult to see who are (our) friends and enemies," he said recently. Every terror attack against the government apparatus, including civil servants and police, is an act against the country, like the current attacks by an ISIS sympathizer on two police Mobile Brigade members in a mosque in South Jakarta. This principle needs to be well understood by all people of the nation, as we move forward to counter terrorism. Furthermore, Kumolo has suggested the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to reactivate the Neighborhood Security System (Siskamling) based on Polri Chief Regulation (Perkap) No. 23 of 2007 to anticipate radicalism and terrorism. Kumolo said it is worth considering intensifying the implementation of the Siskamling system by the neighborhood community through integrated cooperation between the sub-district police and village officials.