Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian migrant workers who are employed in developed countries are vulnerable to exposure to radical ideas, Head of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) Commissioner General Boy Rafli Amar has said.
This vulnerability has come about because there are many radical narratives being spread via social media and people in developed countries have easy access to the Internet. Thus, Indonesian migrant workers living in such countries also have easy access to radical content.
In a statement issued on Saturday, he highlighted a recent case that occurred in January wherein an Indonesian migrant worker was deported from Singapore over suspected exposure to radical ideas. The Indonesian migrant worker was deported because they continued to spread content linked to radicalism on social media, Amar explained. "This emphasizes that anyone, including migrant workers, can be exposed to radicalism," he said.
The former head of Papua police added that all citizens are obligated to develop an understanding of the characteristics of radical, intolerant, and terror groups to avoid radicalism. Moreover, it is important for each Indonesian citizen to know the vaccine against radicalism, which is nationalism, he remarked.
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Nationalism comprises national insight transformation, Pancasila values revitalization, diversity moderation, cultural root preservation, and development transformation. "We urge all national elements in allied countries to be wary of the terrorism virus," he added.
Earlier, Amar said that BNPT is facing restrictions amid acts of radicalism that are developing in society. Thus, the agency is continuing to collaborate with several parties, such as other ministries, government institutions, and the broader public, by the applying multi-party cooperation concept to prevent the spread of radical ideology. The war against terror ideology cannot be handled by a certain institution or group alone, but must involve the entire population, he stressed.