The upcoming 2024 Indonesian election is facing potential threats from terrorist organizations within the country. While major terrorist organizations like Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) have weakened in recent years due to mass arrests of their members, they are still attempting to interfere with the democratic process. Here’s a detailed look at their plans and activities.
It’s important to note that while the number of successful terrorist attacks has decreased, the number of terrorist plots has actually increased. This indicates that the threat of terrorism is still very real, especially when it comes to significant events such as elections.
Terrorists and elections have a long history in Indonesia, with attempts to disrupt the election process occurring over the past decade. For example, in 2013, a terrorist suspect conducted a bombing during a re-election campaign in South Sulawesi, and in 2016, members of JI participated in Islamic rallies to influence the results of the Jakarta Gubernatorial Elections. Even as recently as 2019, 11 JAD members were arrested for planning to detonate bombs during the announcement of the 2019 Presidential Election.
One area where terrorists have been particularly active is the online landscape. Indonesian propaganda networks are working hard to spread jihadist narratives targeting democratic elections. These networks have taken up the mantle of translating propaganda from global terrorist organizations and have proven themselves to be resilient and dedicated in their efforts to interfere with the electoral process.
The interference by Indonesian terrorists largely comes in three forms: undermining the elections, disrupting the elections, and exploiting the elections. This includes theological arguments framing democracy as ‘polytheism’ and disinformation campaigns designed to undermine the legitimacy of elections.
Terrorist organizations in Indonesia primarily disrupt elections by orchestrating attacks targeting the election process. They have been known to target campaign processes, voting processes, and the announcement of election results. The most recent incidents have shown that various Indonesian terrorist organizations have been actively planning to disrupt the upcoming 2024 elections.
Despite the focus on disrupting elections, Indonesian terrorist organizations have also attempted to exploit the electoral process by participating in elections, spreading propaganda, and infiltrating political institutions. This is a departure from the approach of global jihadist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, who have not been known to directly exploit elections.
It’s clear that the threat of terrorism to the 2024 Indonesian election comes from a variety of fronts, including online propaganda, physical attacks, and attempts to infiltrate political parties. These activities highlight the evolving nature of terrorist tactics and the need for increased vigilance in safeguarding the democratic process.
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