THREE RADICALISED INDONESIAN MAIDS DETAINED UNDER INTERNAL SECURITY ACT
SINGAPORE - Three
Indonesian domestic workers have been issued detention orders under the
Internal Security Act and are being investigated for financing terrorism. They
are Anindia Afiyantari, 33, Retno Hernayani, 36, and Turmini, 31. All three had
been working in Singapore for between six and 13 years at the point of their
arrest, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement on Monday
afternoon (Sept 23). They are the first foreign domestic workers to be issued
such detention orders. A fourth maid was also arrested as part of the
investigation.
Although she did not
subscribe to these radical beliefs, she was aware that the others had been
radicalised and did not report them. She has since been repatriated to
Indonesia, the MHA said. The three maids became radicalised last year after
viewing online material on terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Their convictions deepened after they joined multiple pro-ISIS social media
chat groups and channels. Subsequently, they set up multiple social media
accounts to post pro-ISIS material. "The three of them actively galvanised
support online for ISIS," the ministry said. "They also donated funds
to overseas-based entities for terrorism-related purposes, such as to support
the activities of ISIS and JAD," it added.
The three also became
strong supporters of terrorist group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an
Indonesia-based ISIS affiliate that has been banned by Jakarta. The MHA said
the domestic helpers were initially drawn to the violent visuals disseminated
on pro-ISIS platforms. These included bomb attacks and beheading videos by the
terrorist group, as well as "recycled propaganda" on its past
battlefield victories. It added that they were also influenced by online
sermons from radical Indonesian preachers such as Aman Abdurrahman and Usman
Haidar bin Seff. Aman was the de facto leader of JAD,
and was sentenced to death in June last year for inciting others to commit
terrorist attacks in Indonesia.
JAD was responsible for several recent terrorist attacks and
foiled plots, including the 2018 Surabaya suicide bombings. Meanwhile, Usman
was a member of regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), and was
sentenced to three years' jail in 2004 for harbouring a senior JI member
following the 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta. In January, he uploaded
several videos calling for the release of jailed JI founder and radical
preacher, Abu Bakar Bashir.
NETWORK OF FOREIGN
ONLINE CONTACTS
The MHA said the three
maids became acquainted with one another around the time that they became
radicalised. Anindia and Retno first met at a social gathering in Singapore,
while Turmini connected with them on social media. Over time, they developed a
network of pro-militant foreign online contacts. These included online
"boyfriends" who shared their ideology. Anindia and Retno both
intended to travel to Syria to join ISIS. Anindia was prepared to become a
suicide bomber.
Retno aspired to live
among ISIS fighters in Syria and believed that Muslims were duty-bound to
travel to conflict zones outside Syria - such as Palestine and Kashmir - to
fight against "the enemies of Islam".
Their online contacts
also encouraged them to join pro-ISIS groups in southern Philippines,
Afghanistan or Africa. All three women also donated funds to overseas groups
for terrorism-related purposes, and Turmini believed that doing so would earn
her a place in paradise. Singapore has identified a total of 19 radicalised
foreign domestic workers since 2015. All have been repatriated apart from
Anindia, Retno and Turmini, who are still being investigated.
"None were found
to have had plans to carry out acts of violence in Singapore, but their
radicalisation and association with terrorists overseas had rendered them a
security threat to Singapore," the MHA said. It added that Singapore faces
a persistent terrorist threat, fuelled by propaganda from groups like ISIS. "The
fact that all three individuals in the present case were radicalised in 2018,
at a time when ISIS' physical territory was already significantly diminished,
highlights the enduring appeal of ISIS' violent ideology," it said.
The MHA also said that
the Government takes a serious view of any form of support for terrorism here,
whether by Singaporeans or foreigners. It urged the public to exercise caution
when viewing radical material online, including sermons by extremist preachers.
People should report possible signs of radicalisation in friends, colleagues or
family members as soon as possible, the ministry added.
Source: The
Straits Times – 24 September 2019
"Bersama
Menentang Ekstremis!"
IKUTI
KAMI 👇
https://facebook.com/alhaqcentremalaysia
https://twitter.com/alhaqcentre
https://instagram.com/alhaqcentre
Comments
Post a Comment