South-East Asia Region Capacity-Building Working Group (SEA WG)

Transcription

1 South-East Asia Region Capacity-Building Working Group (SEA WG) Third Meeting of the South-East Asia Capacity Building Working November 2013 Yogyakarta, Indonesia Summary The third meeting of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) South-East Asia Capacity Building Working Group (SEA WG) was held on November 2013 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It brought together more than 70 policy makers and practitioners from 9 (nine) SEA countries, 15 GCTF and non-gctf member countries, and 4 (four) regional and international organisations, as well as leading experts from universities and think tanks, to share their insights, expertise and practical experiences on the theme for this meeting: Modern Counter-Terrorism Policing: Challenges and Responses. The meeting was opened by the Director-General (DG) for Multilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the Australian Ambassador for Counter- Terrorism, in their capacity as the Co-Chairs of the GCTF SEA WG. On his opening remarks, the DG for Multilateral Affairs touched upon the new challenges in countering terrorism through the misuse of technology by groups of terrorists, and therefore the meeting aims to identify the new challenges and the steps to be taken to address those challenges. Furthermore, he also mentioned Indonesia s proposal to establish the new thematic working group as the mandate of the GCTF SEA WG will not be extended. Finally, he extended his appreciation for the support that has been rendered to Indonesia s proposal from GCTF members. Australia s Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism pointed out that strengthening legal frameworks and national institutions, developing counterterrorism policing responses, and engaging the community are effective ways to counter violent extremism. He went on to describe recent work of the GCTF, in particular the SEA WG, after the 2nd GCTF SEA WG Meeting in Manila, November The meeting examined a number of topics, including counterterrorism legal frameworks and policing structures; the impacts of online and social media on effective counterterrorism policing; police strategies for countering violent extremism; and police counterterrorism training and international cooperation.

2 - 2 - Session One National Counter-Terrorism Legal Frameworks and Policing Structures The purpose of session one was to share experiences on the impacts of CT legal frameworks, institutions, policing structures, governance, and operations. The session also explored the evolving terrorist threat in SEA, and in particular the role of small cells. Mr. Anacleto Rei A. Lacanilao from the Law Enforcement and Security Integration Office, Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of the President, Philippines, provided an overview of the Philippines legal and operational CT frameworks, notably the Human Security Act 2007 which criminalises acts of terrorism and provides a whole-of-government national CT framework. Mr. Lacanilao also discussed how the Philippines had made a number of developments in its CT-related capabilities, including the introduction of e-passports containing a biometric chip and attempts to prevent the proliferation of dual-use chemical goods to non-state actors. He noted that most current terrorist threats in the Philippines emanated from individuals and small groups, rather than from larger cross-national organisations, and said that the modus operandi of these actors could vary widely depending on factors such as local politics, local cultural practices, and local religious ideology. The fact that these individuals and groups were widely dispersed meant that they were harder to track, and consequently it was important to encourage whole-of-society engagement. Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan from the Australian Federal Police then spoke on the approaches of national institutions in coordinating CT responses. Focusing on the Australian context, Assistant Commissioner Gaughan said that the Australian Government had adopted a CT strategy based on a crisis management framework which involved preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery. He stressed that the key emphasis is placed on preventing terrorist attacks before they occur. He spoke of difficulties encountered by traditional law enforcement (LE) in dealing with the increasing exploitation of the Internet by violent extremists, increasing use of encryption on smart devices, and the emergence of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare. He noted that national legislation was often too rigid to enable proper enforcement in this space and international cooperation was vital in responding to these new challenges. The third speaker of the session was Dr. Petrus R. Golose, Director of Operations, National Counter-Terrorism Agency, Indonesia. Dr Golose focused on the evolving terrorist threat in SEA, including the role of small cells. He noted that the new generation of terrorists use the Internet for communication and self-radicalisation. He mentioned that in recent years there had been a number of shifts in the profile of terrorist groups and individuals within Indonesia. For example, the majority of targets in recent years have been local law enforcement institutions, domestic civilians, government officials and houses of worship. Furthermore, the standard terrorist profile has evolved to include the full socio-economic spectrum, including uneducated and lower-class individuals, along with educated (often highly-educated) and middle-class individuals. Terrorist groups have become smaller and less unified, but also more highly dispersed and mobile. The change of the approach of the new generation of terrorists creates more challenges for LE officials to control and to detect their movement. The challenges also encompass the dangers of recruitment and radicalisation in prisons that house convicted terrorists, and issues relating to the release of terrorist inmates. Finally, Dr. Golose spoke about

3 - 3 - Indonesia s CT strategy domain which includes capacity building for LE officials, deradicalisation and counter-radicalisation programmes. The session concluded with discussions on the role of international institutions and structures, the interaction of traditional criminal law and CT legislation, and how to measure the success of national architectures. Session Two Online/Social Media Challenges In session two, experts in the field of online social media CT efforts shared their views on the subject of regional online and social media challenges and responses in the context of effective CT policing. Ms. Sulastri Osman from the Centre of Excellence for National Security, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, began by highlighting the increasingly blurred line between online and offline terrorist activities. Her presentation emphasised that cyberspace remained a largely ungoverned space, and that policymakers need to be careful in striking the right balance between openness and security. Ms. Osman made a number of recommendations for policy makers in this sphere. In particular, she highlighted the need to enhance the response capacity of LE, to strengthen online CT policing, and to create new laws to address online incitement. Ms. Osman also highlighted the importance of establishing credible online counter-narratives and of providing education on the dangers of online terrorist activities. She urged LE and policy makers to use the online space in the same way that terrorists do. Mr. Solahudin Hartman from the Indonesian Strategic Policy Institute spoke of the increasing prominence that jihadist propaganda was attaining in the online space. He pointed out that the Internet has a number of advantages over traditional sources of communication it crosses geographic boundaries, can reach wide audiences, and is efficient and economical. In addition, online communications can be highly encrypted with relative ease to better avoid government restrictions, including censorship laws. Like Ms. Osman in the previous session, Mr. Hartman noted that national laws were often relatively ineffective in dealing with online terrorist threats and activities. Subsequent discussion focused on how to strike an appropriate balance between security and freedom of information. Participants suggested several measures to strengthen the efforts in countering terrorism in online media, such as enhancing the capacity of LE officials online, developing robust CT policing online and offline, outlining the law to address the issue of incitement, developing counter-narratives against the radicals, and extending the grassroots education on the danger of online terrorist activities. Session Three Counter-Terrorism Police Responses to Current Challenges The presenters in this session discussed the various types of responses available to LE in combating terrorism, including the importance of upholding the rule of law (ROL) and community outreach.

4 - 4 - Associate Professor Greg Fealy from the Australian National University outlined the current and evolving challenges for CT policing in upholding the ROL. He spoke about the dilemma faced by CT police in determining whether or not to apply lethal force during CT operations, and in managing the balance between protecting communities and avoiding counterproductive measures that could be exploited by extremists to undermine community support for CT police cooperation. He said that terrorist suspects often deliberately draws police into situations where the use of firearms becomes necessary, and noted that this might be a deliberate ploy by terrorists to undermine the credibility of police in the community. Taking Indonesia as a case study, Associate Professor Fealy talked in particular about issues relating to the release and reintegration of prisoners into society. He highlighted that a significant number of convicted terrorists were due to be released from Indonesian jails over the next few years. Superintendent Mark McIntyre from the Australian Federal Police spoke on the importance of proactively engaging civil society through community outreach in order to counter violent extremism (CVE). He pointed out that Australia took a strong approach to prevention and that CVE through community engagement was an integral component of Australia s national CT strategy. He described how Australian Federal Police community liaison officers worked with communities to address disengagement and to enhance social cohesion, often through running activities and events such as the Australian Federal Police Unity Cup (a football competition), community dinners and an International Women s Day. He concluded his presentation by emphasising that the future of CVE strategy lay in building leadership and resilience in at risk youth a successful CVE strategy that is underpinned by an effective community engagement strategy. Senior Sergeant Dr. Joe Ilardi from Victoria Police also presented on CVE through community outreach, although from the state-level perspective. Dr. Ilardi articulated the three key strategies behind the core policy of CVE: (1) to lessen the appeal of extremist ideologies; (2) to support disengagement; and (3) to promote social cohesion and inclusion. Specific initiatives undertaken by Victoria Police included Imam engagement with prisoners, organizing various Islamic awareness series in prisons, and the facilitation of a National Imams Consultative Forum. Dr. Ilardi left open for discussion the question of whether, in certain circumstances, police involvement in the CVE space might be counterproductive. Superintendent Muhamad Zarkasih from the Indonesian National Police Special Detachment 88 discussed on Indonesia s two-pronged strategy on countering terrorism through hard and soft power approaches. Unlike the hard approach, the soft approach to CT focuses on preventive rather than reactive measures, addressing the local drivers of radicalisation in the potential perpetrator, and focusing on issues of deradicalisation, particularly in the prison system. The strategies aim to win the heart and mind of the terrorists and his/her family by providing job skills training, and encouraging them to read and discuss books containing non-radical materials, and developing a prison monitoring program. Session Four The Way Forward for Counter-Terrorism Policing This session addressed the way forward for CT policing, with particular emphasis on the importance of modern CT police training and international cooperation.

5 - 5 - Commissioner Gede Suardana from the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC), Indonesia, spoke on overcoming current and evolving challenges for CT policing by professionalising police training. Commissioner Suardana talked in detail on the role, functions, and composition of JCLEC. He noted that JCLEC s mission was to provide front line training and to increase the professionalism of LE. JCLEC s training program is divided into subjects on, among other things, forensics, management, intelligence and investigation. Commissioner Suardana said that JCLEC has been an overwhelming success, with more than 14,000 trainees from 68 countries trained to date. It was regarded as a best practice model for the region. Superintendent Glyn Lewis from INTERPOL spoke on overcoming current and evolving challenges for CT policing through international cooperation. He commenced his presentation by setting out the services and activities provided by INTERPOL in the SEA region, which included training, investigative support, the provision of specialised databases, analytical activities and the provision of secure communication channels. Superintendent Lewis highlighted that INTERPOL was constructing a Global Complex in Innovation in Singapore, which was due to commence operations in October Within the complex would be a coordination centre which would serve as a centre for capacity-building in the region. Superintendent Lewis noted that the current priorities for INTERPOL in the region included the strengthening of regional borders and the issue of the transportation of foreign terrorist fighters into Syria. A lively discussion followed, with a number of countries and delegations including Europol and the International Law Enforcement Academy Bangkok sharing their insights and experiences on the topics of police training and international cooperation. During this session, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan separately outlined the challenges of terrorism facing their respective countries and the CT policing efforts to overcome the terrorist threats. Future Meetings As proposed by Indonesia during the Fourth GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting in New York, September 2013, and pursuant to Indonesia s letter dated 25 October 2013, that has been circulated among the GCTF members with no objections from other GCTF members, the mandate of the GCTF SEA WG will not be extended. A new thematic working group under the GCTF will be established, the focus of which will be provided to members in a proposal in due course.