Terror attacks feared ahead of Chinese workers returning to Indonesia

Reformed al-Qaeda terrorist warns jihadist groups are hoping to capitalise on growing resentment of foreigners amid job losses due to Covid-19

Militants are also seeking revenge for Beijing’s treatment of Uygur Muslims

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Members of the Indonesian anti-terror police unit 'Densus 88', or Detachment 88, in Jakarta. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:00am, 4 Jun 2020Updated: 7:38pm, 4 Jun 2020

The return of Chinese workers to Indonesia could trigger terror attacks due to growing resentment of foreigners amid the coronavirus outbreak and Beijing’s treatment of Uygur Muslims, security analysts have warned.

Jihadist groups had issued “massive” calls for attacks in recent weeks, said a former senior figure in al-Qaeda’s Southeast Asian network, who warned that both migrant Chinese workers and ethnic Chinese Indonesians could be targeted.

“Some jihadis have called for the burning and robbing of Chinese shops,” said Sofyan Tsauri, who spent five years in jail for helping to arm terror groups. He was released in 2015 and now helps Indonesia’s counterterrorism effort by sharing his knowledge at seminars.

Sofyan said the calls for attacks had been made on Facebook and other social media sites by members of al-Qaeda, Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) – the Indonesian affiliate of Islamic State (IS) – and other jihadist groups over the past six months.

He made the comments after taking part in a webinar on Monday by the Indonesian think tank Centre for Radicalism and Deradicalisation Studies titled “Threat of terrorism, government, Chinese and ethnic Indonesian Chinese”.

Indonesian women queue for food supplies at a flash market run by the Aceh government to help the community during the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: EPA

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