https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-jemaah-islamiyah-dissolved-terrorism-splinter-4457446
With Jemaah Islamiyah’s (JI) leaders in Indonesia announcing the terrorist group’s dissolution, the authorities will have to engage with former members in a different way even as they continue to be on the alert for splinter segments and other threats.
This was the view of analysts as news spread of the declaration on Jun 30 by 16 JI senior members at an event organised by Indonesia’s national police counter-terrorism squad, Detachment 88.
JI is the group behind some of Southeast Asia’s deadliest terror attacks including the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed over 200 people.
A video of the announcement was uploaded on the YouTube account of hardline Islamic website Arrahmah on Wednesday (Jul 3).
In the video, the 16 JI officials are seen standing on a stage. They include Abu Rusdan, a militant cleric and former JI leader arrested in Bekasi in September 2021, and Para Wijayanto, who was arrested in 2019 for recruiting militants and raising funds for Syria. Both are still in detention.
The dissolution was agreed by the assembly of seniors and leaders of Islamic boarding schools affiliated with JI, said Abu Rusdan.
They agreed to return to the fold of the Republic of Indonesia and will make changes to the curriculum of the JI-affiliated schools so that there are no more materials that teach extremism.
"We are also ready to be actively involved in realising Independence so that the Indonesian nation becomes a developed and dignified nation ... we are ready to comply with applicable laws," Abu Rusdan added.
When contacted, a JI representative told CNA that members of the group were not allowed to provide any information before the government issues an official statement on the matter.
Reuters reported on Thursday that Indonesia's National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT) declined to comment on the development, but planned to hold a press conference soon.
