Indonesia   (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

Indonesia lies in the heart of Southeast Asia and consists of a group of islands grouped off the Malaysian-Singapore southern coasts.  The islands have always been an odd mix of cultures,  religions, languages, and political intrigue.  Its modern history includes emergence as a nation able to compete in world markets from textiles to electronics making it one of the more successful emerging Asian nations.

However long history of infighting between island cultures and indeed struggles between cultures on any one particular island have culminated in a frightening scenario for the future for its citizens.  To understand the difficulties, you need to look at characteristics of the people and cultures on each of the islands.

• Aceh – Primarily Muslim population, separatists fed up with outside rule, Indonesian military has kept a fragile peace.
• East Kalimantan – Rich jungle and excellent logging, focused on by the world's environmentalists attempting to protect this lush landscape.
• East Timor – Primarily Catholic (MSNBC says 90%, LCWEB says 85%), former Portuguese colony until annexed by Indonesia in 1976, clashes that followed have taken over 200,000 Timorese and Indo soldiers.  1999 marked a referendum vote with East Timorese electing to become an independent state. Pro-Jakara militias (i.e. non separatists) have killed thousands of Timorese and destroyed infrastructure and homes.
• Indonesia Main Island - Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia is found on the Northwestern tip of this island - 3 decades of iron fisted rule, however reformation is leading to a hurry to independence on the part of many of the islands in the well spread out grouping of islands.
• Irian Jaya - Former Dutch colony, separatists violently opposed to rule from Jarkata.  Vast mineral wealth including one of the largest gold finds -- separatists want more of resources to be property of Irianese and for their economy to reap the benefits instead of Jakara. There is also an immigration/migration problem from other islands.  Independence is hot issue.
• Lombok - Spectacular tourist location.  About 50% Christian and at the beginning of 2000 Christian churches were burned by Islamic extremists, and threatens tourism, this islands major revenue source.
• Riau - Similar to issues in Irian Jaya, the Riaunese wish to retain more of their mineral rights and benefit from them -- in this case, oil.  Many support either full independence or making Riau a Federal State of Indonesia.
• Spice Islands - Also known as the Maluccas -- primarily Christian with the expected clashes between Christians and Muslims.  By early 2000, MSNBC says at least 2000 people have died in the unrest.  Naturally when Christians retaliated,  Muslims on other islands in the chain called for a Jihad against the Christians.  Spice trade and tourism are the major revenue producers.
• Sulawesi - Muslim and Christian mix, feels the effects of the Muslim-Christian conflicts on other islands as refugees pour in.  Forest resources as well as cotton, coffee and sugar make this a valuable asset to Jakarta, however separatists, like on other resource rich islands, wish more control and benefit over these resources rather than Jarkata making all the cash.

The Indonesian labor force is focused on agriculture 45%, trade, restaurant, and hotel 19%, manufacturing 11%, transport and communications 5%, and construction 4%, with exports of oil and gas, plywood, textiles, and rubber.  Like most emerging economies Indonesia imports machinery and equipment; chemicals, fuels, and foodstuffs.   Indonesia has a rapidly growing semiconductor and electronics business which has slowed due to worldwide tech markets.

Indonesia's military forces  Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police have a pool of some 38 million, and spends about a billion dollars per year.

Indonesia and Malaysia have minor disputes from time to time over islands along their border areas, but the major problem for Indonesia, besides its economy is a thriving domestic drug trade.  It is also a major transshipment for heroin throughout SEA.

Since the resignation of autocrat Suharto in 1998, the islands of Indonesia have yet to stabilize with many skirmishes between ethnic groups.

The Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have agreed to share information on terrorists as part of a new Anti-Terrorist Trilateral Agreement. The agreement was signed on May 8, 2002 in Putrajaya, the new Malaysian capital.
 
 
 

Recent Events in Indonesia

In the last decade the ruling family in Indonesia has come under increased pressure and of late has been under charges of vast graft.  As a result, the government's stability has been under question for the last few years.  In order to hold onto the reigns of power, the government has grown repressive.

• UPDATE May 6, 2002 - Jafar Umar Thalib, the commander of the Laskar Jihah terrorist group was arrested on charges of threatening the life of Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Many believe the arrest is a move to show action against terrorists -- obstensibly to prevent western interference in a nation seen to do nothing about its own Islamic Terrorists.
• April 30, 2002 - Trial for police and security forces begins - they are accused of allowing a massacre to occur in East Timor church where 27 people including three priests were killed.
• April 29, 2002 - Indonesian investigation team says six military officials were involved in the plot to kill prominent Papua leader Theys Eluay.
• April 29, 2002 - Indonesian military seeks martial law in Ambon on Moluccan Island after 12 people were killed following a fragile peace pact between the government and the antagonists, Christians and Muslims.  The clashes have been going on for 3 years and are responsible for the deaths of over 5,000 people.
• April 28, 2002 - Seven women from Indonesia and Thailand are rescued from Samurai sword welding captors in forced prostitution ring in Kalum Kapur, Malaysia.
• April 26, 2002 - Police firing warning shots into Muslim crowd demonstrating in Ambon wounding at least one person.  The shots came on a day where massive explosions rocked a Muslim neighborhood.  The demonstration consisted of approximately 15,000 people gathered at the al-Fatah mosque.
• April 26, 2002 - Jafar Umar Thalib, the commander of the Laskar Jihah terrorist group told his followers to prepare for war in Indonesia at al-Fatah mosque in Ambon.
• April 26, 2002 - Indonesia signs energy deals with Iraq and Jordan - Iraq deal has Indonesia helping explore the Western Desert.  In Jordan, Indonesia was offered oil and gas development prospecting rights, in addition to seismic processing and drilling service opportunities.
• April 10, 2002 - East Timor may be allowed to observe the ministerial meetings of ASEAN conference in July, 2002
• March 29, 2002 - Suharto's son, Tommy Suharto, waits in prison charged with arranging the assassination of a judge who had sentenced him to prison for corruption.
• March 17, 2002 - Tribunal opens on testimony that Indonesian military leaders allowed the  killings surrounding the 1999 vote of independence for East Timor
• February 22, 2002 - Free Aceh Movement guerillas exchange fire with government troops for two hours in a village 25 miles east of Lhokseumawe, the North Aceh district capital.
• February 4, 2002 - The U.S. ambassador to Singapore Frank Lavin said the United States expects the Indonesian government "to take action" against the suspected planners of the failed bombing plot last month against the U.S. Embassy in Singapore.
• January 20, 2002 - Terror suspects suspected of belonging to al-Qaida have been taken into custody worldwide, including arrests made in Afghanistan, Spain, Britain, Malaysia and Indonesia.
• January 14, 2002 - Sex Slave Trade Has Become a Crisis of Global Proportions - 23 countries -including

U.S. allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Turkey and South Korea - are not doing enough to address trafficking. Other countries not doing enough include: Albania, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Greece, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Yugoslavia

To analyze the terrorist group population in Indonesia, one need only look at the groups in neighboring island countries, from Malaysia to Philippines as well as Burma on the Asian mainland.

• Laskar Jihad (LJ), or Holy War Troop - Muslim extremists intent on genocide of Christians especially in areas with large Christian populations such as the Islands of Maluku.  12 Christians were killed on the island recently with Christian leaders calling for a crackdown on the group.  The groups main base is on the Island of Java.  Some suspect the group has ties to Al-Qaida.
• Abu Sayyaf Group ( ASG ) - The ASG is the smallest and most radical of the Islamic separatist groups operating in  the southern Philippines. Some ASG members have studied or worked in the Middle East and developed ties to Mujhadeen while fighting and training in Afghanistan. The group split from the Moro National Liberation Front in 1991 under the leadership of  Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, who was killed in a clash with Philippine police on December 18, 1998.  Credo is to promote an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, areas in the southern Philippines heavily populated by Muslims.  Funded by Islamic extremists in Asia and the Middle East.  Abu Sayyaf is noted for basing operations from some islands in the Indonesian chain south of the Philippines.
• al-Qaida- Osama Bin Laden's international offshoot of the Islamic Jihad organization, this group is active in the Philippines due to its current goal is to "reestablish the Muslim state" throughout the world. Works with allied Islamic extremist groups to overthrow regimes it deems "non Islamic" and remove Westerners from Muslim countries.  This includes supports for Moros and their efforts to form independent states, as well as funding Filipino communist rebels from safe locations on islands in Indonesia that are south of the Philippines.
• Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)  Islamic extremists/ separatists who wish Philippines to be an Islamic Nation. Typically found in the Southern parts of Philippines (Mindanao). Led by the former Governor Nur Misuari, have been involved in kidnapping and then using hostages to gain concessions from the Philippines Government. In November of 2001, they took a large number of captives and government troops closed in, a death of some 56, 5 of which were Philippines soldiers. The group used hostages to win free passage to a neighboring province. The MNLF is active all over the Moro Sea and has covert bases and hideouts in Indonesia.
• Free Papua Movement (FPM),  primarily Papua region - Papua separatists, demanding a referendum on independence, primarily attacked Indonesian targets in the provinces in 1999
• Maluku Sovereignty Front (MSF) - political separatist group accused by Muslims of encouraging violence in the Malaku province of Indonesia.  No actual violent acts have been attributed to the group.
• Free Aceh Movement (FAM) - Indonesian separatists operating in and around the Aceh province on the island of Sumatra.  Have used civilian hostages as well as fired upon military troops attempting to quell violence.
• Indonesian Dissidents  - essentially armed East Timores operating in East Timor, Indonesia, and Australia.  The protesters have reacted violently to deployment of military forces and have made attacks on Pro independence supporters for East Timor, the eastern half of an island at the eastern most tip of the Indonesian chain.

 

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