ISIS Targeting Indonesian Migrant Workers
ISIS Targeting Indonesian Migrant Workers
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JAKARTA - Indonesian National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) investigate the alleged involvement of Indonesian Migrant Workers (TKI) in Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
"So far, we have yet to receive any accurate information on the alleged involvement of TKI in ISIS, but nevertheless, we will investigate it," said BNPT Chief Commissioner, General Tito Karnavian on Wednesday evening after attending an event of Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan.
According to reports, ISIS has been targeting TKI in Hong Kong to join the militant group. An Indonesian domestic helper informed the Oriental Daily News that several TKI had received recruitment leaflets to become members of ISIS. The flyers allegedly offered Indonesian migrant workers employment in Xinjiang, in China's northwest, which is home to that country's Uighur Muslim minority. It is not clear what kind of jobs were offered.
Asia One website reported on Tuesday that the leaflets contained information that the workers from Indonesia would be employed in Xinjiang region, China, though there was no clarity on what form of employment would be offered to them.
The head of an Indonesian workers' protection group recently claimed that IS has been trying to recruit Indonesian migrant workers for the past two years. They have met with some success, as more workers are known to have joined the radical group and the same or similar flyers are frequently seen at migrant workers' meet-ups, the source said.
Many Indonesian workers meet at Victoria Park in downtown Hong Kong every weekend to catch up with each other and help newcomers adapt to their new working environment. The same tradition is also found among Indonesian workers in Taipei, Taiwan.
According to government data, there were more than 150,000 Indonesian workers in Hong Kong and 7,000 in Macau in 2015. The Indonesian government estimates that there are currently 236,000 in Taiwan.
"I am worried that some workers could be emotionally affected if they join the group," said Joan Tsui, a member of a migrant workers' protection group in Hong Kong.
Nusron Wahid, chief of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection and Placement Agency (BNP2TKI), said Indonesian workers in some countries are more prone to joining IS, including those in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
"So far, we have yet to receive any accurate information on the alleged involvement of TKI in ISIS, but nevertheless, we will investigate it," said BNPT Chief Commissioner, General Tito Karnavian on Wednesday evening after attending an event of Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Luhut Panjaitan.
According to reports, ISIS has been targeting TKI in Hong Kong to join the militant group. An Indonesian domestic helper informed the Oriental Daily News that several TKI had received recruitment leaflets to become members of ISIS. The flyers allegedly offered Indonesian migrant workers employment in Xinjiang, in China's northwest, which is home to that country's Uighur Muslim minority. It is not clear what kind of jobs were offered.
Asia One website reported on Tuesday that the leaflets contained information that the workers from Indonesia would be employed in Xinjiang region, China, though there was no clarity on what form of employment would be offered to them.
The head of an Indonesian workers' protection group recently claimed that IS has been trying to recruit Indonesian migrant workers for the past two years. They have met with some success, as more workers are known to have joined the radical group and the same or similar flyers are frequently seen at migrant workers' meet-ups, the source said.
Many Indonesian workers meet at Victoria Park in downtown Hong Kong every weekend to catch up with each other and help newcomers adapt to their new working environment. The same tradition is also found among Indonesian workers in Taipei, Taiwan.
According to government data, there were more than 150,000 Indonesian workers in Hong Kong and 7,000 in Macau in 2015. The Indonesian government estimates that there are currently 236,000 in Taiwan.
"I am worried that some workers could be emotionally affected if they join the group," said Joan Tsui, a member of a migrant workers' protection group in Hong Kong.
Nusron Wahid, chief of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection and Placement Agency (BNP2TKI), said Indonesian workers in some countries are more prone to joining IS, including those in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
(rnz)
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