Over 200 Muslims activists and university students have urged the government to launch a crackdown on growing extremism and terrorism in Indonesia.

They have demanded that government departments, including the Ministries of Religious Affairs and Justice and Human Rights, maximize efforts to prevent and eliminate terrorism.

“The government needs to amend the Terrorism Criminal Act, particularly with regard to criminalization, so that law enforcement can expand its scope and go for terrorist networks … and take them down before they commit atrocities,” they said in a statement.

They issued the statement at a July 27-28 national symposium on radicalism and terrorism organized by Indonesia’s National Police force.

“Security forces not only have to stamp out conventional threats such as car and suicide bombs, they also have to be aware of possible new terror tactics. These could include the possible use of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons,” they said.

They also urged the government, the media, as well as civic and religious leaders not to offer “understanding” or “forgiveness” to extremists as this will further encourage terrorism.

Adrianus Meliala, a Catholic criminologist at the University of Indonesia, said the symposium was organized because many issues related to extremism and terrorism remain unresolved.

“We, as part of society, have to do something,” he said as the government has not done enough to tackle these issues.

Therefore, “through this program, we are urging the government to take stronger measures,” he added.

He also lamented the government’s stance against fundamentalism and terrorism.

“The government says it does not like extremism but tolerates it. The resulting violence is a violation of the law, but the government does not take any action against it,” Meliala said.

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