Indonesia’s decision not to repatriate ex-Isis members welcomed by former militants
- Jakarta will not allow 689 Indonesians who had joined the Isis movement in Syria and Iraq to return to their home country
- Experts say the repatriation would have carried the risk of terror attacks, and that intensive deradicalisation is needed
Coordinating minister for legal, political and security affairs Mahfud MD on Tuesday said President Joko Widodo and the cabinet made the decision because the interests of the country’s citizens outweighed those of the returning “foreign terrorist fighters”, according to The Jakarta Post.
“The government and the state has to ensure that the 267 million people in Indonesia are safe from the threat of terrorism,” Mahfud said after a cabinet meeting at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java. “If these foreign terrorist fighters come back they can become a new virus that makes those 267 million people feel unsafe.”
Widodo last week said he “personally rejected” the possibility of repatriation, but said the final decision would be made after meeting with the cabinet.