Indonesians Facing Trial in S’pore Offered Assistance from Embassy

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Members of the National Police’s Densus 88 counterterrorism squad accompany a number of suspected terrorists at a press conference about terrorism at the National Police headquarters, Jakarta, Thursday (17/10/2019).

Three Indonesian citizens arrested in Singapore in September are facing charges of funding terrorism. The Indonesian government is monitoring the case.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore is providing help for three Indonesian citizens facing trial in the city-state for allegedly financing terrorist acts. This is to ensure that the three are treated fairly and are afforded their legal rights throughout the trial.

The Foreign Ministry’s Indonesian citizens and legal entity protection director Judha Nugraha said on Thursday (24/10/2019) that the three women, identified as RH, 36; TM, 31; and AA, 33, had had their first hearing on Oct. 23. They face charges of violating Singapore’s Suppression of Financing Act by reportedly sending money to support terrorist acts.

The three were allegedly supporting the Islamic State group (IS) and IS-affiliated Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) in Indonesia. Before they were arrested in September, the three had worked as migrant workers in Singapore for more than five years.

RH was said to have gathered more than S$100 (US$73.35) in two events in March and April this year. She also provided S$140 in cash.

TM provided a total of Rp 13 million (US$925) in five occasions between September last year and May this year.

Meanwhile, AA provided S$130 in cash in five separate occasions between February and July. TM provided a total of Rp 13 million (US$925) in five occasions between September last year and May this year.

The Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Commercial Affairs Department is investigating the alleged fundraising activities by the three suspects. “[The police] had reasonable grounds to believe that these funds would be used to facilitate terrorist acts overseas,” Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs said in a press statement available on its website.

The ministry said that the raising of and/or provision of funds to finance terrorist acts, regardless of the amount raised or provided, was a serious crime. If proven guilty, the three would face imprisonment.

Threat

Terrorism, and by extension its financing, remains a huge threat for domestic and international security. Global action is required to cut off funding for terrorist groups. The Singaporean government is part of this global effort, regardless of the funds raised by defendants being used to finance terrorist acts domestically or abroad.

In its press statement issued on Sept. 23, the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs said, as quoted by Channel News Asia, that the three detained Indonesians had become radicalized in 2018 after viewing IS-related material online. They became convinced that the IS was fighting for Islam and that its use of violence against "infidels" was justified.

Their radicalization deepened after they joined multiple pro-IS social media chat groups and channels. They were drawn to the violent visuals disseminated on these platforms, such as IS bomb attacks and beheading videos, as well as recycled propaganda on IS’s past victories in the battlefield. They were also influenced by the online sermons of radical Indonesian preachers.