Securitization of Terrorism and Human Rights Protection in Indonesia

Abstract

This article discusses Indonesia’s strategy to overcome terrorism which is slightly different from the global approach to counter-terrorism that uses a war strategy and involves regular troops. The Indonesian strategy results from a tug-of-war between the government and civil forces, namely Islamic groups and human rights organizations. Civil society groups, to some extent, have succeeded in preventing the use of military methods that have harmful implications for human rights. Using the securitization theory, this article reveals how government, Islamic groups, and human rights proponents contest to win influence in society. If the government undertakes securitization, civil society groups conduct desecuritization and place problems in law enforcement and human rights. The authors have used media reports, documents, and interviews to strengthen the analysis. Keywords: terrorism, Indonesia, human rights, Islam, and civil society