The Indonesian Parliament approved, on the 25th of May 2018, tougher anti-terrorism laws to tackle the rise of Islamist extremism in the country.
Lawmakers reviewed a 2003 anti-terrorism law after a bomb attack and coordinated suicide bombings, executed in the city of Surabaya, took the life of 30 people on the 13th on May. The deadliest attack in Indonesia in nearly two decades.
The terrorist attack was carried out by two radicalised families including children as young as eight who targeted churches and a police station. A proposition to review the law was introduced in 2016 after Jakarta was hit by a terrorist attack led by Isis.
The revised bill will allow the police to detain suspects for 21 days for an initial examination, instead of a week, and for up to 200 days for a formal investigation.
It will also permit the authorities to prosecute people joining or recruiting for militant and terrorist groups.
Those convicted of smuggling explosives or other chemicals and weapons into or out of the country for terrorism will face a maximum penalty of death.
Before the revision of the law, authorities were struggling with detaining extremists who were planning attacks, unless a clear threat was made or a terrorist attack was carried out.
Politicians in Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, are split on including “motives of ideology, politics and security disruption” in the definition of terrorism. According to critics and security forces, this controversy could lead to an abuse of the law.
Under the new bill, fighting terrorism will become part of the military’s operations outside of war, but it can only get involved upon a request from the police and with presidential approval.
“They will only be allowed to get involved in the operational phase, where the police feel they need more resources.” Atmadji Sumarkidjo, a senior government official, said of the military, in a comment to Reuters.