Observers Call There Are Hundreds Of Radical Understanding Channels In The Telegram Application

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JAKARTA - University of Indonesia (UI) terrorism observer Sholahudin revealed an effort to spread radical understanding online. This propaganda also makes use of social media and short message applications.

He noted that many terrorist groups were actively creating channels on the Telegram application or closed chat applications as of 2018. It's just that, currently the number continues to increase.

"2019 increased to 220 (channel, red), WA group also increased and so on," said Sholahudin in an online discussion, Friday, April 16.

Sholahudin revealed the reason why terrorists turned to social media to spread radicalism. First, because the government has enacted a new Terrorism Law, namely Law Number 5 of 2018.

This legislation is considered to expand punishment for terrorist perpetrators. The next reason, because government policies are more aggressive than before.

"Due to pressure in the offline world, this radical group has fled to the online world," he said.

Previously, the State Intelligence Agency had also mentioned that young people were the main targets for recruitment by terrorist groups. Moreover, the recruitment of new members is usually done through social media.

"Indeed, millennials are the main target of them (terrorist groups, ed)," said Deputy VII BIN Wawan Hari Purwanto in an online discussion broadcast on YouTube, Saturday, April 3.

Not only that, millennials are targeted because they are often not critical or ingest the teachings made in such a way as possible by this group.

"So, we always convey to millennials and the second liner community outside the millennial to do the checking and also ask the experts with the intention of making this study comprehensive," he said.

Furthermore, Wawan also asked parents to continue to control their children, especially those who entered the millennial age. Including controlling the reading they are reading.

This, said Wawan, can only be done by each parent. Because, they know the character of their children better than other people.

"Those who are usually cheerful are gloomy, who usually don't go anywhere so they suddenly come home asking for money. He (kids, red) only talks to networks on social media because he is driven there to do anything. , "he said.

"Therefore, we always encourage millennials to control the reading of the millennials by their parents. Because only their parents understand the best," added Wawan.

Furthermore, in addition to parents, his party will also continue to strive to conduct 24-hour patrols to monitor millennial activities in cyberspace. "And we have also reminded a lot," he concluded.