How Indonesian Prisons are Battlegrounds for Deradicalisation : IN FOCUS

Channel NewsAsia Online

13 March 2021

Around 600 terrorism inmates are currently held in Indonesia’s prisons, where attempts are made to turn them away from a life of radicalism and violence. Dr Noor Huda Ismail, a terrorism analyst and a Visiting Fellow at RSIS, concurred that the pandemic is a roadblock to the deradicalisation efforts. “The only people with access to these prisoners right now are the guards. The government can train them so they can act as mentors and counsellors. However, some prisoners see prison guards as someone they can’t trust, unlike NGO workers and reformed terrorists whom they would still listen to,” he said. “The future of the deradicalisation efforts is looking bleak right now. This pandemic is not going away anytime soon and social distancing, strict health protocols and various restrictions are becoming the new normal.”

Categories:

RSIS / Online