Gov't to Arrange Reconciliation Meeting Between Former Terrorists and Attack Survivors
Jakarta. The government will arrange a meeting between former terrorists and survivors of terrorist attacks in the country near the end of February as part of a reconciliation effort, Chief Security Minister Wiranto said on Monday (05/02).
"We are planning to arrange reconciliation between former terrorists and victims of terrorism, we have just conducted a meeting and we will hold it at the end of this month," Wiranto told reporters in Jakarta, after a coordinating meeting with related government institutions.
He explained that the meeting will be an opportunity for former terrorists, who have participated in deradicalization programs, to apologize to their victims. The meeting will involve around 150 people in total.
"This is pretty unique, as it has never been done before, but we will do it. So that the world will know that Indonesia, through deliberation and consensus, can reconcile relations between those who used to hold animosity toward one another," Wiranto said.
Indonesia, mainly through the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), has addressed the issue of terrorism through various soft approaches – an effort commended by many of the country's counterparts around the world.
The government has forged bilateral cooperation agreements to combat terrorism with various countries, including India, Russia and Kazakhstan.
In confronting the threat of terrorism, the National Police is doubling the manpower of its counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, this year, adding 600 extra personnel to monitor Islamic State networks and possible lone wolf attacks.
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