Firmly, Moeldoko Says Never Forget Terrorism

Moeldoko emphasized that the act of terrorism should not be forgotten. (KSP Doc)

Jakarta - Presidential Chief of Staff Dr. Moeldoko invites all parties to keep in mind the acts of terrorism that occurred in Indonesia. According to him, it is important to do so in order to continue to build vigilance against all forms of threats to security disturbances.

"I agree that we must forgive acts of terrorism. But never forget these events. So that we are always vigilant," said Moeldoko when delivering his remarks at the launch of the book "The Power of Forgiveness: Memoirs of the JW Marriot Bombing Victims" and the 19th Anniversary of the JW Tragedy Marriot 2003, Friday 5 August.

For information, the book “The Power of Forgiveness: Memoirs of the JW Marriot Bombing Victims” was written by Sony Soemarno, a survivor of the JW Marriot Bombings, in 2003.

Moeldoko emphasized that terrorism is a crime against humanity, and has absolutely nothing to do with any religious teachings. "Whatever the reason, all religious teachings reject acts of terror. So acts of terrorism cannot hide behind religion," he said.

The 2013-2015 TNI Commander also said that since the 2003 JW Marriot bombing terror incident, the government has adopted a Whole of Government approach to fight terrorism, starting from upstream with education, to downstream through prosecution.

Moeldoko received the book The Power of Forgiveness: Memoirs of JW Marriot Bomb Victims from author Sony Soemarno. (KSP Doc)

By regulation, he added, this approach was also strengthened by the issuance of Law No. 5/2018 and Presidential Decree No. 7/2021 on the National Action Plan for the Prevention and Combating of Violent-Based Extremism.

Referring to the LAB45 study in 2021, Moeldoko said, the trend of terror attacks has consistently declined since 2000. The aggregate value on the Global Terrorism Index has also decreased, from 6.55 in 2022 to 5.5 in 2021. "Lower value means better. This is the result of the hard work of the government and all parties in fighting terrorism. The government does not work alone," Moeldoko said.

On the same occasion, Sony Soemarno, author of The Power of Forgiveness: Memoirs of JW Marriot Bomb Victims, explained that the process of writing and publishing a book took 15 years.

Moeldoko at the book launch event The Power of Forgiveness: Memoirs of the JW Marriot Bomb Victims. (KSP Doc)

The book, he continued, contains testimonies of victims and former perpetrators of acts of terrorism, as well as his journey in carrying out deradicalization programs from one penitentiary to another. "Hopefully my book is useful for the people. Let's not discuss something different, but discuss something the same," said Sony.

On that occasion, Moeldoko also ensured that the state was there for the victims of acts of terrorism. He gave an example, the payment of compensation to 215 victims of terrorism and their heirs, from 40 past terrorism events. The value, amounting to Rp 39 billion. "The presence of the state is expected to bring new enthusiasm and new optimism to the victims and their families," said Moeldoko.

"I also hope that the launch of this book (The Power of Forgiveness: Memoirs of the JW Marriot Bomb Victims) will also inspire us all to fight together against acts of terrorism," concluded Moeldoko.