Australia's Minister: Many Indonesia's Deradicalization Programs Serve as Global Reference

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Australian Minister for Home Affairs Anthony Stephen Burke stated that many deradicalization programs implemented in Indonesia have become a global reference.

“When speaking with the Indonesian government, I come to learn. I must say that there are many deradicalization programs run in Indonesia that truly serve as a reference for the world,” Burke said after the 7th Sub-Regional Meeting (SRM) on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Security at The Ritz-Carlton, South Jakarta, on Friday (23/10/2026).

Burke noted that all countries currently face challenges in dealing with individuals who have served prison sentences and are about to be released.

Additionally, countries are grappling with the return of individuals who have joined extremist groups abroad back to their home countries.

“Considering all of that, I come to learn. I engage with the Indonesian government as a trusted partner that has implemented deradicalization programs with very effective results,” he said.

Burke also highlighted the emergence of new ideologies that encourage violence.

According to him, while neo-Nazism is not a new ideology, its adherents are becoming bolder in expressing themselves and acting openly.

He observed the emergence of a blend of various ideologies that are logically inconsistent as a new phenomenon.

“Therefore, we need to continually develop deradicalization programs. We must remember that the groups I described earlier consist of very young individuals,” he emphasized.

“The best thing we can do when dealing with someone at such a young age is to seek an appropriate approach,” he added.

He mentioned that some individuals he monitors are as young as 10 years old.

Burke noted that prison cannot be the first step in dealing with these children.

“We must be able to steer young people away from the path of radicalization and guide them back onto a constructive path,” he said.

Burke admitted that he could not yet confirm whether the approach used to address this new ideology would be the same as the methods previously applied to tackle other forms of radicalization.

However, he is confident that Indonesia has a wealth of experience in implementing deradicalization programs that can be shared with other countries.