Militants in Indonesia

By Kenneth Conboy

Though not terrorism in the strictest sense, Indonesia-watchers have been noting with concern that hard-line, often violent, Islamic militant groups are growing more aggressive around the country. This comes after several years when they had largely receded into the background, save for annual bursts of activity when they would raid nightspots in and around Jakarta during the Islamic holy month.

Returning with a vengeance, these militants got a major boost earlier this year during the furor over the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. Reaction in Jakarta was especially pronounced, culminating in an unruly 19 February protest outside of the U.S. embassy by several hundred members of the Islamic Defenders Front (Front Pembela Islam, or FPI). Given the robust improvements made in that embassy's perimeter since 2000, the demonstrators could do little more than throw objects at the street-side guard house. Still, the U.S. ambassador deplored the protest as an act of thuggery.

Since February, militant activity has continued to rise. The FPI, whose members are easily recognizable in their white robes, now boasts chapters in most major cities. Often they are joined by a second group calling itself the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (known by the initials FBR), ostensibly a secular organization based in Jakarta that, suspiciously, only seems to take on religious causes.

The size of these groups is difficult to determine. This is because both the FPI and FBR more often then not act—literally—as crowds for hire. During major events, for example, militant leaders can reportedly troll among the unemployed masses in Jakarta and quickly hire hundreds of demonstrators, who for a small stipend will outfit themselves in FPI/FBR uniforms and rant at a designated rallying point for a specific amount of time; violence is optional. Who bankrolls FPI has not been fully apparent, though there is speculation that FPI’s nightclub raids during the fasting month help fund their activities during the rest of the year.

Among the issues they have championed as of late:

• The anti-pornography bill. An anti-pornography bill is currently being debated in the Indonesian national assembly. The name of this bill is a misnomer: it is actually a clever end-run by conservative Islamic political parties to implement elements of Islamic law, even though this would go directly against Indonesia’s secular constitution. (Example: public kissing is deemed “pornography” under the current version of the bill.) Not surprisingly, militant groups in several Indonesian cities have participated in massive rallies calling for its passage into law. They have also resorted to violence: after one rally in mid-May, FPI members raided several entertainment venues in the outskirts of Jakarta which they accused of degrading moral values.

• Foreign Investment. In recent months, militant groups have been trying to find ways of appealing to a wider audience. One way has been to latch themselves onto to issues that have little to do with religion, but resonate among the masses. Once such issue has been foreign investment, more specifically the major role played by U.S. mining/oil and gas firms. During several major demonstrations against mining companies like Freeport and ExxonMobil in April, militants played a prominent role in condemning American “economic imperialism.”

• Middle East. During May, militants staged large demonstrations in several cities over U.S. policy vis-à-vis Hamas. In this, they have been joined by the hard-line grassroots organization Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia.

• Playboy. FPI militants took a lead role in condemning the publication of the Indonesian version of Playboy in April. Several hundred hard-liners raided the Playboy editorial office in Jakarta, forcing the magazine to suspend publication after one issue. Ironically, the magazine had no nudity, and was deemed far less risqué than many other men’s magazines already in the Indonesian market.

• Opposition to former President Gus Dur. Militants have long been at odds with former President Gus Dur, who is renowned for his tolerance and moderation. When attempting to give a speech in West Java last week, Gus Dur was forced from the stage by FPI members. FPI and FBR conducted further anti-Gus Dur protests this past week; during these rallies, many they openly marched with clubs and other crude weapons.

Although this increase in militant activity has been noted with concern, the Indonesian government has been reluctant to implement a crackdown. This is true for several reasons. First, the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is supported by a fragile coalition of political parties, including key support from several small, hard-line Muslim parties. The president, therefore, could not move to stamp out the militants without alienating his coalition partners.

Second, with Indonesia’s democratic reforms has come reluctance on the part of the security forces to respond forcefully against activists for fear of being accused of human rights abuses.

Third, it has long been rumored that groups like FPI traditionally had patrons within elements of the security forces—with whom they shared the spoils of their raids on night spots. This nexus remains unproven, but has the ring of truth.

For whatever reason, there is no denying that violent militant groups have grown more aggressive in recent months. And with the government looking unwilling or unable to check this growth, it is likely that their attacks will grow more brazen in the coming weeks and months.

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