Indonesia Officially Disbands the FPI

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Indonesian government disbanded the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) on Wednesday, December 30. The move culminated weeks of tensions with the hard-line organization following the return of its exiled chief Rizieq Shihab from Saudi Arabia last November.

“The government has disbanded FPI and will stop its activities in the future because it no longer has any legal standing as an organization,” said Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD.

Mahfud added that the ban was based on a joint ministerial decree (SKB) issued by six officials. They included Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly, and Indonesian National Police Chief General Idham Aziz.

Also read: German Embassy Staff Member Banned from Indonesia After FPI Visit

Other officials who drew up the order included Minister of Communications and Informatics Johnny G. Plate, Attorney General ST Burhanuddin, and National Counterterrorism Agency head Boy Rafli Amar.

As read by Assistant Legal Affairs and Human Rights Minister Eddy Hiariej, the decree stated that “[The FPI] is forbidden to carry out activities or show its symbols and other attributes in Indonesia. Law enforcement will disband any activities that are held by them.”

The government noted that the FPI is not registered as an organization, as they failed to extend their organizational registration permit with the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 20, 2019.

ANTARA FOTO/MUHAMMAD IQBAL Mass of FPI members await their chief Rizieq Shihab to come home from his exile in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (10/11/2020)

Mahfud noted that this does not stop the FPI from disturbing the peace with violence, carrying out sweeps, and other provocative activities.

Also read: Jakarta Metropolitan Police Arrest FPI Chief Rizieq Shihab

He also pointed out that the government has plenty of evidence to show that the FPI stood against the Pancasila state ideology, the 1945 Constitution, and the state motto of Unity in Diversity.

For his part, Eddy pointed out that “35 current and former FPI members were suspected of complicity in terrorism, while over 200 others were suspected of other infractions.”

They include a video shot on January 25, 2015 in Makassar, South Sulawesi showing members of the group swearing fealty to ISIS.

Before the announcement, the police detained FPI head Rizieq for violating health protocols on a number of occasions. They also decided to reopen a pornography case against him dating to 2017, that was the cause of his exile in Saudi Arabia.

(Writers: Fitria Chusna Farisa, Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Rakhmat Nur Hakim | Editor: Bayu Galih)

Sources: 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/30/12281001/breaking-news-pemerintah-bubarkan-dan-hentikan-kegiatan-fpi. 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/30/13533731/fpi-resmi-dibubarkan-penggunaan-simbol-hingga-atribut-dilarang. 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/30/12522671/pembubaran-dan-penghentian-aktivitas-fpi-diputus-6-pejabat-tinggi-negara. 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/30/14075041/pemerintah-tunjukkan-video-anggota-fpi-berbaiat-ke-isis-jadi-pertimbangan.