Category: Editorials

TEMPO Marks 50 With the End of an Era

Posted by Asia Views | Mar 9, 2021 | Insight, Viewpoints | 0 |

Power, Politics & Corruption

Posted by Asia Views | Feb 6, 2021 | Insight, Viewpoints | 0 |

DO OR DIE DEMOCRACY

Posted by AsiaViews | May 14, 2019 | Insight, Viewpoints | 0 |

INDONESIA:LET’S WIN THE WHO RACE

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Editorials, Indonesia, Politics, Viewpoints | 0 |

The Jakarta Post-Sept 30, 2026 Drawing lessons from the diplomatic triumphs of other nations and...

INDONESIA:NO NEED TO HESITATE TO QUESTION NUSRON WAHID

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Editorials, Indonesia, Politics, Viewpoints | 0 |

Tempo-Sept 30, 2026 Investigators at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) need not hesitate...

INDONESIA:CLOSE THE DOOR TO MINING IN RAJA AMPAT

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Editorials, Environment, Indonesia, Viewpoints | 0 |

Tempo-Oct 2, 2026 RAJA Ampat is not yet safe. After the government revoked four nickel mining...

MALAYSIA:ARTFUL COMPROMISE ON WAGES AND INFLATION

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Business & Economy, Editorials, Malaysia, Viewpoints | 0 |

New Straits Times-Oct 1, 2026 A government-mandated minimum wage policy often puts the government...

MALAYSIA:MAKGE BORNEO POSTINGS FEASIBLE FOR DOCTORS

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Editorials, Malaysia, Social Issues, Viewpoints | 0 |

New Straits Times-Oct 2, 2026 It is that time of the year when newly appointed government medical...

MYANMAR:REGIME RESPONDS TO NATURAL DISASTERS BY INCREASING VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Editorials, Myanmar, Politics, Viewpoints | 0 |

The Irrawaddy-Sept 29, 2026 As desperate communities across southern Myanmar endure severe storms...

PHILIPPINES:HUMAN FACE ON FOREIGN POLICY

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Editorials, Philippines, Politics, Viewpoints | 0 |

Philippine Daily Inquirer-Oct 2, 2026 For most Filipinos raised on the Catholic faith, Israel has...

PHILIPPINES:TICKING BOMB AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Editorials, Philippines, Social Issues, Viewpoints | 0 |

Manila Times-Sept 29, 2026 The past year was a watershed for the Department of Education. With a...

THAILAND:FLOODS TEST THAI AIRWAYS

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | ASEAN, Editorials, Social Issues, Thailand, Viewpoints | 0 |

The Bangkok Post-Sept 30, 2026 The floods that hit Bangkok have had far-reaching repercussions...

JAPAN:IMMIGRATION REFORM SHOULD HELP THE COUNTRY, NOT PUNISH IMMIGRANTS

by Asia Views | Oct 5, 2026 | Beyond ASEAN, Editorials, Japan, Social Issues, Viewpoints | 0 |

The Japan Times-Oct 2, 2026 Japan has revised its permanent residence rules. The move is a...

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

Category: Editorials

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