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Within a Thick Mist: Conspiracy Theories and Counter Terrorism in Indonesia

Year 2013, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 96 - 116, 30.05.2016

Abstract

This paper discusses Indonesian ‘radical groups’ discourse on counter-terrorism policies by the government of Indonesia and why it is important to look at it closely to help us to understand the real dynamics surrounding Indonesia’s war on terrorism. Until now, official information from the Indonesian authorities regarding terrorist groups and counter terrorism efforts had been the most important sources in shaping various analysis’ both in academics and mass media on the issue of terrorism at the national and global level. Despite plenty of evidences that undermine the credibility of some official information, from indications of proof fabrication and witness manipulation to excessive violence and extrajudicial killings, they had never been adequately criticized and questioned. The information from the authorities was frequently taken as ‘the (only) truth.’ Of course, different stories on terrorism and counter terrorism policies in Indonesia did exist. Many of them came from the target of counter terrorism policies: Indonesian ‘radical’ Islamist organizations. Nevertheless, their versions were often taken for granted as false stories that must not be heard at all. This paper traces back how the Global War on Terror discourse had created a ‘binary opposition of rationality’ that build and strengthen the stereotype that radical Islamists are irrational actors who create and believe in conspiracy theories. This ‘binary opposition of rationality’ had been used to dismiss all criticisms to official information regarding the issue of terrorism and counter terrorism policies in Indonesia by labeling it as conspiracy theories. Looking closely at Indonesia’s political history and current practices of counter terrorism, this paper argues that both official and alternative versions need to be heard and scrutinized critically.

References

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  • Al-Anshary, Fauzan (2006). Awas Operasi Intelijen (Beware Intelligence Operations ). Tangerang: Arrahmah Media.
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  • Awwas, Irfan S (2004). Pengadilan Teroris: Klarifikasi Fakta dan Dusta yang Terungkap di Persidangan (Terrorist Court: Clarifications of Facts and Lies Uncovered in the Legal Process). Yogyakarta: Wihdah.
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  • Hamilton-Hart, Natasha (2005). Terrorism in Southeast Asia: expert analysis, myopia and fantasy. The Pacific Review, Vol. 18, No. 3.
  • Hastie, Heather (2007). The News Gathering Process During the U.S.-led Invasion of Iraq: A Study of Embedded Journalism. Interdiciplinarity. Retrieved from http://i- journal.ucalgary.ca/ojs/viewarticle.php?id=16&layout=ht ml
  • Imparsial (2010). Potret Penyimpangan Polisi di Era Reformasi (Portrait of Police Misconduct in the Reform Era), Jakarta: Imparsial.
  • International Crisis Group (2002). Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia: the case of the “Ngruki Network” in Indonesia. Indonesia Briefing, 8 August 2002. Jakarta/Brussels: ICG.
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  • Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (2007). The Threat for Indonesian People is Not Terrorism, but the Oppressions by the Rulers. Press release, January 26, 2007.
  • Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of The Republic of Indonesia, Draft of the Law on Anti-Terrorism.
  • Neil Renwick (2002). Southeast Asia and the Global War on Terror Discourse. Cambridge Review of International Affairs. Volume 20, Number 2, June 2002.
  • Pasha, Mustapha Kamal (2008). “Human Security and Exceptionalism(s): Securitization, Neo-liberalism and Islam” in Giorgio Shani, Makoto Sato, Mustapha Kamal Pasha (eds), Protecting Human Security in a Post 9/11 World: Critical and Global Insights. New York: Palgrave McMillan.
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  • Renwick, Neil (2007). Southeast Asia and the Global War on Terror Discourse. Cambridge Review of International Affairs. Volume 20, Number 2.
  • Sidel, John T. (2007) The Islamist Threat in Southeast Asia: A Reassessment. Policy Studies 37. Washington, East West Center.
  • Sidel, John T. (2006). Riots, Pogroms, Jihad: Religious Violence in Indonesia. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.
  • Thamrin, Muhammad Ikhlas (2007) Densus 88 Undercover. Solo: Quo Vadis.
  • The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (2004). The 911 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the 11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf States. Retrieved from http://www.9
  • The White House (2006). National Security Strategy of the United States. Washington DC: The White House.
  • van Bruinessen, Martin (1996). “Islamic State or State Islam? Fifty Years of State Islam Relations in Indonesia,” in Wassel, Ingrid (1996). Indonesien am Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts, Hamburg: Abera Verlag. Retrieved from http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/let/2007-0323- 200437/bruinessen_96_islamicstateorstateislam.pdf
  • Yunanto, S, et. al. (2003). Militant Islamic Movements in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Jakarta: The RIDEP Institute and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad

Year 2013, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 96 - 116, 30.05.2016

Abstract

References

  • Abuza, Zachary (2003). Militant Islam in Southeast Asia: Crucible of Terror. Boulder: Lynne Reinner, 2003.
  • Al-Anshary, Fauzan (2006). Awas Operasi Intelijen (Beware Intelligence Operations ). Tangerang: Arrahmah Media.
  • Awwas, Irfan S (2005). Apa Dosa Rakyat Indonesia (What Are the Mistakes of Indonesian People?). Yogyakarta: Wihdah.
  • Awwas, Irfan S (2004). Pengadilan Teroris: Klarifikasi Fakta dan Dusta yang Terungkap di Persidangan (Terrorist Court: Clarifications of Facts and Lies Uncovered in the Legal Process). Yogyakarta: Wihdah.
  • Beeson, Mark (2004). US Hegemony and Southeast Asia: The Impacts of, and Limits to, US Power and Influence. Critical Asian Studies, 36:3.
  • Capie, David (2004). Between a Hegemon and a Hard Place: The ‘War on Terror’ and Southeast Asian-US relations. The Pacific Review. Vol. 17 No. 2.
  • Christoffersen, Gaye (2002). The War on Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Searching for Partners, Delimiting Targets. Strategic Insights. Volume 1, Issue 1, March 2002. Retrieved from http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:P7EKM7f7C9kJ:w ww.ciaonet.org/olj/si/si_1_1/si_1_1_chg01.pdf+%22The +War+on+Terrorism+in+Southeast+Asia:+Searching+for+ Partners,+Delimiting+Targets%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3
  • Dillon, Dana R. (2004). Southeast Asia and the Brotherhood of Terrorism. Heritage Lectures, No. 860.
  • ELSAM. Kasus-kasus Pelanggaran Berat HAM: Tragedi Tanjung http://www.elsam.or.id/kkr/tanjung%20priok.html
  • Gershman, John (2002). Is Southeast Asia the Second Front? Foreign Affairs. Vol. 81 No.4.
  • Gunaratna, Rohan (2003). Inside Al-Qaeda: Global Network of Terror. New York: Berkley Books.
  • Hafidz, Tatik S (2003). The War on Terror and the Future of Indonesian Democracy. IDSS Working Paper. Singapore: Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies.
  • Hamilton-Hart, Natasha (2005). Terrorism in Southeast Asia: expert analysis, myopia and fantasy. The Pacific Review, Vol. 18, No. 3.
  • Hastie, Heather (2007). The News Gathering Process During the U.S.-led Invasion of Iraq: A Study of Embedded Journalism. Interdiciplinarity. Retrieved from http://i- journal.ucalgary.ca/ojs/viewarticle.php?id=16&layout=ht ml
  • Imparsial (2010). Potret Penyimpangan Polisi di Era Reformasi (Portrait of Police Misconduct in the Reform Era), Jakarta: Imparsial.
  • International Crisis Group (2002). Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia: the case of the “Ngruki Network” in Indonesia. Indonesia Briefing, 8 August 2002. Jakarta/Brussels: ICG.
  • Kingsbury, Damien (2004). Australia’s Renewal of Training Links with Kopassus: A Critique. The Australian National University Working Paper. Canberra: ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.
  • Kompas Daily, 17 January 2012.
  • Lau, Muchtar Dg (2008). Sekelumit Hikmah “Bom Makassar”: Sebuah Kisah Nyata dari Balik Sel (A Piece of Wisdom from “Makassar Bomb”: A Real Story from Behind the Bars). Yogyakarta: Pustaka Timur.
  • Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (2007). The Threat for Indonesian People is Not Terrorism, but the Oppressions by the Rulers. Press release, January 26, 2007.
  • Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of The Republic of Indonesia, Draft of the Law on Anti-Terrorism.
  • Neil Renwick (2002). Southeast Asia and the Global War on Terror Discourse. Cambridge Review of International Affairs. Volume 20, Number 2, June 2002.
  • Pasha, Mustapha Kamal (2008). “Human Security and Exceptionalism(s): Securitization, Neo-liberalism and Islam” in Giorgio Shani, Makoto Sato, Mustapha Kamal Pasha (eds), Protecting Human Security in a Post 9/11 World: Critical and Global Insights. New York: Palgrave McMillan.
  • Peraturan Pemerintah Pengganti Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia No. 1 Tahun 2002 tentang Pemberantasan Tindak Pidana Terorisme.
  • Rabasa, Angel (2003). Terrorist Networks in Southeast Asia. Adelphi Series, 1944-558X, Volume 43, Issue 358.
  • Renwick, Neil (2007). Southeast Asia and the Global War on Terror Discourse. Cambridge Review of International Affairs. Volume 20, Number 2.
  • Sidel, John T. (2007) The Islamist Threat in Southeast Asia: A Reassessment. Policy Studies 37. Washington, East West Center.
  • Sidel, John T. (2006). Riots, Pogroms, Jihad: Religious Violence in Indonesia. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.
  • Thamrin, Muhammad Ikhlas (2007) Densus 88 Undercover. Solo: Quo Vadis.
  • The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (2004). The 911 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the 11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf States. Retrieved from http://www.9
  • The White House (2006). National Security Strategy of the United States. Washington DC: The White House.
  • van Bruinessen, Martin (1996). “Islamic State or State Islam? Fifty Years of State Islam Relations in Indonesia,” in Wassel, Ingrid (1996). Indonesien am Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts, Hamburg: Abera Verlag. Retrieved from http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/let/2007-0323- 200437/bruinessen_96_islamicstateorstateislam.pdf
  • Yunanto, S, et. al. (2003). Militant Islamic Movements in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Jakarta: The RIDEP Institute and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
There are 33 citations in total.

Details

Other ID JA22ET77PU
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad This is me

Publication Date May 30, 2016
Submission Date May 30, 2016
Published in Issue Year 2013 Volume: 6 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Choiruzzad, S. A. B. (2016). Within a Thick Mist: Conspiracy Theories and Counter Terrorism in Indonesia. International Journal of Social Inquiry, 6(2), 96-116.

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