Hostage Of Pilot Susi Air By KKB Is Clearly An Act Of Terrorism

Susi Air Pilot Philip Mark Mahrentens, KKB took him hostage. (ANTARA/HO/Personal Document)

JAKARTA - Head of Enforcement and Capability Development of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Inspector General Ibnu Suhendra emphasized that the taking of Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens, who is a New Zealand citizen, was an act of terrorism.

"The KKB (armed criminal group) demands independence by threatening to kill the pilot if their demands are not met," he said as reported by ANTARA, Friday, March 17.

The methods used by the KKB, according to him, are synonymous with acts of terrorism. For Ibnu, the terror network operating in Indonesian territory is currently using the strategy of spreading fear as a way to achieve its goals.

"In addition, there are political and ideological motives that fulfill the criminal element in the sense of criminal acts of terrorism in Law Number 5 of 2018," he said.

Handling acts of terrorism requires systematic, measurable, and coordinated efforts so that the problem can be resolved properly.

He explained that terrorism is a complex problem that cannot be handled haphazardly. There is an ideology that must be fought, as well as the root of the problem that must be resolved.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Moya Institute Hery Sucipto said the BNPT had confirmed that Law Number 5 of 2018 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Terrorism could be applied to acts of violence committed by the KKB including the Susi Air pilot taking hostage.

The KKB violence has fulfilled the elements of a criminal act of terrorism because it has political, ideological, and security disturbance motives, which also creates a widespread sense of fear in society.

"This dilemmatic condition must find a solution immediately. We hope that not only can the Susi Air pilot be free in a safe condition with nothing lacking, but also that the non-stop violence perpetrated by TPNPB-OPM must stop," said Hery.