RI Authorities to 'De-Radicalise' 12 Initially Missing Indonesian

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - As many as 16 Indonesians have been detained by the Turkish authority as they were captured to be in the country illegally and attempted to cross the border to Syria.

On Thursday (26/3/2015), 12 individuals from the initially 16 have safely arrived in Indonesia and were immediately directed to a secret place by the police anti-terror contingent. 

The place is unknown to many and only the authorities who have access to it. 

The reason for those people to be brought to that place is that police and intelligece agency want to investigate them deeper, regarding their reason to depart from Indonesia to Turkey. Also the need to cross the border to Syria and the possibility of them to join the notoriously known radical group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The 12 people were part of a bigger group which initially consisted 16 people. The Turkish authority, due to several problems is still detaining the other 4.

"Those who have been named as suspects of ISIS will be studied, examined, investigated, and monitored regularly. Not all of them are militants, some of them just went to join perhaps due to brainwashing and convincing persuasion. Maybe, their family members are part of it so they just joined in order to unite with them. We are currently investigating it," Indonesian Police Commissioner, Rikwanto said at the Police Headquarter on Thursday 26 March 2015.

"What the motivations were and other things will be evaluated," he added.

After knowing the motifs behind their departure and everything else, Rikwanto said police force is planning to yield knowledge regarding ISIS and its danger. 

Thus, it is very much a counter-brainwash attempt or to sterilize the mindset of these people.

"They will be de-radicalized by Indonesian anti-terrorist agency (BNPT), government, Muslim religious teacher, Indonesian police and Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) so they don’t go back to join ISIS," Rikwanto concluded. (Akp/Tnt)