Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government has issued a warning to members of hard-line groups in the country: You will face the full weight of the law if you promote unruly radicalism or are involved in acts of terror.
"Acts promoting anarchy, threats of terror, or moves to take the law into one's own hands are classified as crimes, which will be processed under the country's existing laws," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sutjipto said Thursday.
"We have never tolerated any wrongdoing, regardless of who or what groups are implicated in it. Our (the government's) stance is clear, that we must enforce the supremacy of the law and equality before the law," he said.
Widodo chaired Thursday a meeting on political, legal, and security affairs to discuss the presence of groups promoting violence and radicalism in the country.
"I know that law enforcers at all levels have faced a certain amount of pressure from various parties when they deal with these groups, and I am assuring them now that the government will provide protection to them when they carry our their duties," the retired four-star Navy admiral said.
Present during the meeting were Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto, Home Minister M. Ma'ruf, and expert advisor to the Justice and Human Rights Ministry Ramli Hutabarat.
"We put respect for people's freedom foremost in establishing mass organizations as stipulated in Law. No. 8/85 (on the freedom to organize). But if these (organizations') activities disturb public order, we do have a right to disband them," Ramli said.
Despite the tough talk, none of the officials would name the groups accused of promoting radicalism and violence.
Since the downfall of former president Soeharto, vigilante religious groups and gangs have mushroomed in the new era of political freedom.
The Islam Defenders Front (FPI) has frequently used religion to justify members' attacks against bars and nightclubs, minority religious faiths and political targets. It is also accused of using the threat of violence to leverage protection money from business premises.
Despite FPI members' frequent acts of vandalism, the police often do little to stop these attacks and only a few of the group's members have been arrested. This has led to accusations the police and the FPI are cooperating in some areas.
Political observers believe powerful politicians have helped establish and back many militant groups – like the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) – to put pressure on their political opponents, and not to promote religious ideas or morality.
These groups have attempted to legitimize themselves by allying with the growing number of conservative but non-violent Islamic parties.
After a series of conservative fatwa were issued by the Indonesian Council of Ulema outlawing forms of secularism, pluralism and Islamic liberalism, these groups have also begun to target mainstream Muslim clerics.
Earlier this month, former president and Nahdlatul Ulama leader Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid was shouted down by FPI members during a speech in Purwakarta, West Java, while he was promoting interfaith dialog and religious tolerance.
Gus Dur has been open about his opposition to the pornography bill, which he says is an attempt to enforce a narrow interpretation of Islam on a multiethnic and multireligious society. An avowed secularist, he believes religion should be the private affair of the individual.
The public attack on the respected leader, which forced him to leave the podium, drew a strong reaction from NU followers, and was criticized by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.