Why a resurgent Jemaah Islamiah in Indonesia is also bad news for Malaysia and Singapore

Little has been heard of the Southeast Asian offshoot of al-Qaeda for the past five years, but the arrest of JI leader Para Wijayanto reveals it is on the rise

Self-funded with income from palm oil, and with a renewed focus on recruitment, experts warn that the group poses a renewed threat to the region

Reading Time:5 minutes

An Indonesian policeman stands guard near the memorial monument for victims of the 2002 Bali bombings, which were carried out by Jemaah Islamiah. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:15pm, 7 Jul 2019Updated: 12:10pm, 9 Jul 2019

For the past five years, little was heard of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), the Southeast Asian offshoot of the international terror network al-Qaeda. While JI was responsible for some of Indonesia’s deadliest terror attacks, including the devastating 2002 Bali bombings, the group kept a low profile as counterterrorism police focused on countering threats from militants linked to Islamic State (Isis).

That was until last weekend. On Monday, Indonesian police announced the capture of JI’s leader Para Wijayanto, 54, who had been on the run since 2003. His wife and three of his associates were also detained.

[JI] is far more sophisticated, adaptable, capable of good organisation and exploiting issues

Sofyan Tsauri

Para’s arrest revealed a resurgent JI, actively recruiting members and building up a clandestine paramilitary wing in an effort to regenerate and consolidate itself. Police discovered it had transformed from a radical group living off donations and robberies to a budding business enterprise with interests in palm oil plantations on the islands of Sumatera and Kalimantan.

“JI has become stronger … it is far more sophisticated, adaptable, capable of good organisation and exploiting issues,” Sofyan Tsauri, former member of al-Qaeda Southeast Asia, told the Post. “JI can survive much better now.”

Tsauri was charged with logistics and weapons procurement during his time in al-Qaeda from 2005 until his arrest in 2010. He was released in 2015 and has since left the group.

THE RECOVERY

The term “neo-JI” is used to describe the organisation after it recovered from near destruction in 2007, when an armed clash with police in Poso, Central Sulawesi, led to the arrest of more than 40 members, including top leaders, according to a 2017 report by the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC).

An Indonesian policeman watches as cars burn in the street following bomb explosions in front of a church in Jakarta on December 24, 2000. Photo: AP

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x