The Threat to Indonesia From the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS/ISIS): A Human Security Perspective

Abstract

The democratization process in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), better known as the Arab Spring, led to increased instability in the region. The civil war in Syria coupled with the attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or later known as the Islamic State (IS) has resulted in one of the largest humanitarian crises since World War II. This security threat has spread to other regions, including Southeast Asia. Indonesia, with the biggest Moslems population in Southeast Asia, has been affected most significantly in comparison to other ASEAN member countries. ISIS has acknowledged its terrorist actions which involved suicide bomb attacks, and also claimed membership all over the archipelago. The continuing violence and resulting threats or feeling of insecurity negatively affect the lives, freedom, dignity, and development of the people. Not only related to political and military, the threat also affected human security, including economic, environmental, social, and other forms of harm done by the overall livelihood and wellbeing of individuals. Other threats related to the recruitment process of new ISIS member made use of conventional and social media. This article aims to answer the question: “How has ISIS threatened human security in Indonesia?” Another question is: How has the Indonesian government reacted to securitize the above issues? It concluded that the government has not comprehensively solved the issues to reduce human security threats in Indonesia.