The government’s decision to ban Israeli-owned ships from entering Malaysia gives a clear signal that the country does not recognise Israel and will not collaborate in any way including in economy, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil. Fahmi, who is the unity government spokesperson, said the decision was in line with the government’s policy over the years which emphasised several issues involving Israel. He said the government’s decision to bar and restrict the Israeli-based shipping company, ZIM, from entering any port in the country with immediate effect, also showed the country’s commitment in championing the plight of the people of Gaza. Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that ships from an Israeli shipping cargo company as well as those en route to Israel or those hoisting Israel’s flag will be restricted from entering or loading cargo at Malaysian ports with immediate effect. He said this was in response to Israel’s action that had gone against international laws and ignored humanitarian principles through its continuous atrocities against Palestinians. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/12/20/fahmi-govt-ban-on-israeli-owned-ships-entering-country-clear-signal-malaysia-does-not-recognise-israel/108499
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.”
