Inside the mind of Mas Selamat and his ilk
Driven by misguided sentiments, he likely sees himself as a hero fighting an 'evil system': Experts
By Zakir Hussain
Neither his years in detention nor life on the run quenched his zeal for his cause.
When Mas Selamat Kastari was arrested in Johor on April 1, he was still plotting attacks on Singapore, a mark of the hardcore extremism that characterised him.
In Jemaah Islamiah (JI) circles, the regional leader of the terrorist group was admired for being ambitious and ruthless.
Friends of his family, however, thought less of him.
They were upset that the former bus mechanic, who joined JI around 1990, was often out of a job. As a result, his wife and five children often went hungry.
He spent time in Indonesian prisons before being handed over to the Singapore authorities in 2006.
He was detained for two years in the Whitley Road Detention Centre prior to his escape in February last year.
Unlike other JI detainees, he was not put on a programme of religious rehabilitation because the Ministry of Home Affairs judged that he was not ready.
It was an indication of how firmly he clung to his extremist views.
Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed, the co-chairman of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), said a radical like Mas Selamat would have been so deeply indoctrinated that his grievances would have crystallised into beliefs that he would be willing to pursue, regardless of the cost.
Such extremists also believe that all other Muslims are wrong, and that only those who walk their path of violence are true believers.
The feeling of hatred against non-Muslims and Muslims who work against him is also deeply embedded, said Ustaz Ali.
Singapore aims to rehabilitate as many of its security detainees as possible.
To date, two-thirds of the 60 detainees arrested here since 2001 for terrorist activities have been released after rehabilitation.
So far, none has strayed back. Some have returned to society for four years or more.
However, another 20 remain in detention, including 'hardcore' JI members who have not renounced their views.
As Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew noted last year in a book by the RRG marking its fifth anniversary: 'You cannot keep the detainees locked up. That is not the solution. The solution is to put them right, and so they become normal Muslims again and their families lead normal lives.'
He noted that some 26 of those arrested in the first two sweeps in 2001 and 2002 have been released.
'But six have still not been convinced. They have stuck to their guns, especially the leader of the JI group (Ibrahim Maidin). They are just standing firm.
'They are convinced that they are right. Nothing seems to be able to change their beliefs. So, we have to live with this problem, and they just have to stay detained,' he added.
Given the difficulties of rehabilitating a hardcore terrorist like Mas Selamat, it is likely that he will be detained indefinitely.
His conversion to extremism took place around 1990, after he heard Indonesian cleric Abu Jibril preach in Johor.
In 1992, he joined the Singapore JI cell. Over the next five years, he visited Afghanistan twice.
In 1999, he was hand-picked by JI operations chief Hambali - now in United States custody in Guantanamo Bay - to lead the Singapore cell.
Two years later, Mas Selamat fled Singapore when the Government began cracking down on JI members for plotting attacks against Western embassies and military personnel here.
Dr Kumar Ramakrishna, who heads the Centre of Excellence for National Security at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, explains why the current mechanisms for rehabilitation are unlikely to work in Mas Selamat's case.
'In my own view, he would likely and sadly consider the Muslim scholars who attempt to counsel him as sold-out hypocrites who should be totally ignored,' he said.
However, if a JI leader who is more senior were to renounce violence, there is a chance that Mas Selamat may be willing to listen.
'If Hambali actually does turn, this would be show-stopping and make him, potentially, a most influential person for both individual rehabilitation and community counter-radicalisation efforts in South-east Asia,' Dr Kumar said.
Several years ago, when Mas Selamat was in prison in Indonesia, reformed JI leader Nasir Abas tried to meet him to persuade him to mend his ways.
But Mas Selamat refused to meet Mr Nasir.
Dr Kumar has not had a chance to view any documents on the deep background of Mas Selamat and finds it hard to pin down his path to radicalisation.
But based on what is known about the JI leader, he said it was possible that Mas Selamat was driven by fear that the group he most closely identifies with, in this case Muslims, is under threat.
Psychological studies show that when individuals perceive, rightly or wrongly, that their group is under threat, they tend to strike back, often resulting in ethnic cleansing, war or terrorism, Dr Kumar said.
He said Mas Selamat seems to define himself primarily as a Muslim first and last, and likely hates Singapore because he perceives 'that his Muslim 'group tent' is under existential threat both in Singapore and globally'.
'He may have experienced some form of personal setback or setbacks in his life which prompted him to seek greater refuge in religion, and this is where at some point he perceived some form of religious marginalisation that rendered him vulnerable to JI ideology,' he added.
Dr Kumar explained that the JI ideology, with its strong us-
versus-them world view, would have reinforced Mas Selamat's desire to right perceived wrongs and 'religiously legitimised the hate he feels toward Singapore and its close international friends, particularly the US and Israel'.
'It is important to realise that in his own mind, Mas Selamat thinks he is a hero standing up against the 'evil system' that 'oppresses' Muslims in Singapore and worldwide,' he said.
RRG member Ustaz Mohd Ibrahim Mohd Kassim notes that such misdirected sentiments are not held by the majority of Muslim Singaporeans.
And many of the JI detainees who held this view have come around to see where they have been misled by JI teachings.
But Mas Selamat has not been moved.
Said Dr Kumar: 'He probably really is convinced he is one of the 'good guys' whose 'eyes have been opened' to the actual plight of his Muslim brothers. This is why he seems so motivated.'
zakirh@sph.com.sg
Monday, May 11, 2009
For Muslims in S'pore, a sense of relief - ST 10 May
For Muslims in S'pore, a sense of relief
Mas Selamat's capture affirms community's stand against violence
By Zakir Hussain
The re-arrest of Mas Selamat Kastari in Johor, where he sought shelter while on the run, vindicates the Singapore Muslim community's stand that they have no sympathy for those who plot violence in the name of Islam, several leaders of the community said yesterday.
After the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) regional leader escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year, there was suspicion among some that he might be harboured by sympathisers here.
Mr Abdul Mutalif Hashim, chairman of the Darussalam Mosque in Clementi, said that for as long as he was on the run, some suspicion lingered over Muslims here.
'I feel very relieved now, as that assumption did not help race relations,' he said.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Education, stressed that the Malay-Muslim community was just as alarmed as other Singaporeans were over the escape.
'Now that Mas Selamat has been caught, a sense of relief is as much felt by the Malay community as by the community at large.
'This reflects the fact that the Malay-Muslim community is mature and rational and understands that whatever threatens the nation is also a threat to them, and therefore, we are as single-minded about how we need to address and look at the threat of terrorism,' he said.
Mr Abdul Mutalif, who also chairs the Choa Chu Kang Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle, agreed: 'It was clear for all to see that Mas Selamat was someone who was capable of causing damage and chaos in our country.'
He was plotting attacks on Singapore when the Malaysian Special Branch arrested him in Johor on April 1.
That he fled Singapore almost immediately after his escape from Whitley was 'a clear indication that Muslims here did not harbour Mas Selamat, or condone his terrorist activities', Mr Abdul Halim Kader, chief executive of community group Taman Bacaan, said yesterday.
Online comments posted after the terrorist's escape last year, suggesting that he would surely get help from Malay-Muslims here, prompted Mr Abdul Halim to mobilise about 100 volunteers to distribute 10,000 'wanted' posters. He did so to send a message that Mas Selamat was an enemy of the people, regardless of race or religion.
Mr Abdul Halim also heads the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group, which looks after the welfare of JI detainees' families. He said it will continue to provide social and counselling help to Mas Selamat's wife and children here.
Veteran mosque leader Rhazaly Noentil urged all Singaporeans to continue interacting across religious lines to build trust, and not let the terror threat affect racial harmony in Singapore.
Mr Allaudin Mohamed, the chairman of the Khalid Mosque in Geylang, said: 'Our community understands the agenda of the extremists is destructive, and sees the larger need to live in harmony as Singaporeans.'
Mas Selamat's capture affirms community's stand against violence
By Zakir Hussain
The re-arrest of Mas Selamat Kastari in Johor, where he sought shelter while on the run, vindicates the Singapore Muslim community's stand that they have no sympathy for those who plot violence in the name of Islam, several leaders of the community said yesterday.
After the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) regional leader escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year, there was suspicion among some that he might be harboured by sympathisers here.
Mr Abdul Mutalif Hashim, chairman of the Darussalam Mosque in Clementi, said that for as long as he was on the run, some suspicion lingered over Muslims here.
'I feel very relieved now, as that assumption did not help race relations,' he said.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Education, stressed that the Malay-Muslim community was just as alarmed as other Singaporeans were over the escape.
'Now that Mas Selamat has been caught, a sense of relief is as much felt by the Malay community as by the community at large.
'This reflects the fact that the Malay-Muslim community is mature and rational and understands that whatever threatens the nation is also a threat to them, and therefore, we are as single-minded about how we need to address and look at the threat of terrorism,' he said.
Mr Abdul Mutalif, who also chairs the Choa Chu Kang Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle, agreed: 'It was clear for all to see that Mas Selamat was someone who was capable of causing damage and chaos in our country.'
He was plotting attacks on Singapore when the Malaysian Special Branch arrested him in Johor on April 1.
That he fled Singapore almost immediately after his escape from Whitley was 'a clear indication that Muslims here did not harbour Mas Selamat, or condone his terrorist activities', Mr Abdul Halim Kader, chief executive of community group Taman Bacaan, said yesterday.
Online comments posted after the terrorist's escape last year, suggesting that he would surely get help from Malay-Muslims here, prompted Mr Abdul Halim to mobilise about 100 volunteers to distribute 10,000 'wanted' posters. He did so to send a message that Mas Selamat was an enemy of the people, regardless of race or religion.
Mr Abdul Halim also heads the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group, which looks after the welfare of JI detainees' families. He said it will continue to provide social and counselling help to Mas Selamat's wife and children here.
Veteran mosque leader Rhazaly Noentil urged all Singaporeans to continue interacting across religious lines to build trust, and not let the terror threat affect racial harmony in Singapore.
Mr Allaudin Mohamed, the chairman of the Khalid Mosque in Geylang, said: 'Our community understands the agenda of the extremists is destructive, and sees the larger need to live in harmony as Singaporeans.'
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Possible Singapores, beyond Lee Kuan Yew
Possible Singapores, beyond Lee Kuan Yew
Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, April 21SINGAPORE: A People’s Action Party (PAP) split by internal schisms. Future leaders bereft of the "huge political legitimacy" that could be gained from endorsement by the man with unmatched moral and historical authority. These are some of the leadership fates that could befall a post—Lee Kuan Yew Singapore, as hotelier Ho Kwon Ping sees it.
And such "imponderable" scenarios could help explain why a "system of elders" is now taking shape in the political landscape.
"Perhaps it is to restrain factionalism, arbitrate disagreements, groom and assess future leaders, that the positions of senior minister and minister mentor have been institutionalised," said Mr Ho, who feels the PAP’s "extraordinary cohesion" over five decades has owed much to "the forceful personality of Lee Kuan Yew".
Mr Ho, who is also MediaCorp chairman, was speaking on Monday alongside Professor Kishore Mahbubani at a seminar organised by Nanyang Technological University’s Asian Journalism Fellowship programme. The topic? "Singapore Beyond Lee Kuan Yew: Institutionalising the Singapore Way".
Of this future, Prof Mahbubani, who Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, would not rule out a "significant reversal" of Mr Lee’s legacy, or the rise of a stronger Opposition usurping the one dominant party system — though he gave each scenario only a "one—sixth probability".
While a "smooth and seamless transition" was a two—thirds likelihood, Prof Mahbubani harked back to the words of former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee, after the PAP’s long monopoly of parliament was broken in 1981. "As (Dr Goh) has wisely told us, failure happens when we fail to consider the possibility of failure."
So, for instance in the unlikely event of a strong opposition arising, would Mr Lee’s legacy be weakened? In fact, the "sharper political debates" arising could make Singaporeans more aware of the "precious political legacy they have enjoyed", said Prof Mahbabuni.
On the other hand, as has happened in South Korea and Taiwan, it could also lead to the old legacies being quickly lost and forgotten by the new generation. "I am frequently shocked when I meet younger Singaporeans who have never heard of Dr Goh," he said.
Both speakers were not alone in expressing uncertainty over how Singapore’s future, sans Mr Lee, would play out. During the Q&A session, which was off—the—record, the audience raised concerns such as how the country would be deprived of its most astute and influential critic — and whether Mr Lee’s legacy, or indeed Singapore, could unravel.
While Mr Lee’s retirement would "create a huge political vacuum", Prof Mahbubani believes Singapore has "done a lot" to protect his legacy, such as instilling a deep culture of meritocracy and incorruptibility.
And Mr Ho had no doubts Singaporeans could "muddle their way through", even if the PAP’s leadership renewal "fails to deliver what it has done for the past 50 years".
Mr Lee’s greatest legacy, he said, "is that the Singapore which he so passionately shaped will outlive not only him, but even his own party, should that ever come to pass".
The reason: In his single most critical imperative — nation building — Mr Lee has largely succeeded, said Mr Ho, who has found young Singaporeans to own a strong sense of involvement and ownership in the country, contrary to stereotype.
"Equally contrary to some people’s wishful thinking, there is not likely to be dramatic, broad—brush social or political liberalisation," said Mr Ho. "This is not a pent up society waiting for the demise of the strongman in order to overturn highly unpopular laws."
Rather, the government has the support of the politically—vital heartland in its pragmatic, incremental approach to change, even as it responds to tomorrow’s generation, he said.
— TODAY/so
Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, April 21SINGAPORE: A People’s Action Party (PAP) split by internal schisms. Future leaders bereft of the "huge political legitimacy" that could be gained from endorsement by the man with unmatched moral and historical authority. These are some of the leadership fates that could befall a post—Lee Kuan Yew Singapore, as hotelier Ho Kwon Ping sees it.
And such "imponderable" scenarios could help explain why a "system of elders" is now taking shape in the political landscape.
"Perhaps it is to restrain factionalism, arbitrate disagreements, groom and assess future leaders, that the positions of senior minister and minister mentor have been institutionalised," said Mr Ho, who feels the PAP’s "extraordinary cohesion" over five decades has owed much to "the forceful personality of Lee Kuan Yew".
Mr Ho, who is also MediaCorp chairman, was speaking on Monday alongside Professor Kishore Mahbubani at a seminar organised by Nanyang Technological University’s Asian Journalism Fellowship programme. The topic? "Singapore Beyond Lee Kuan Yew: Institutionalising the Singapore Way".
Of this future, Prof Mahbubani, who Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, would not rule out a "significant reversal" of Mr Lee’s legacy, or the rise of a stronger Opposition usurping the one dominant party system — though he gave each scenario only a "one—sixth probability".
While a "smooth and seamless transition" was a two—thirds likelihood, Prof Mahbubani harked back to the words of former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee, after the PAP’s long monopoly of parliament was broken in 1981. "As (Dr Goh) has wisely told us, failure happens when we fail to consider the possibility of failure."
So, for instance in the unlikely event of a strong opposition arising, would Mr Lee’s legacy be weakened? In fact, the "sharper political debates" arising could make Singaporeans more aware of the "precious political legacy they have enjoyed", said Prof Mahbabuni.
On the other hand, as has happened in South Korea and Taiwan, it could also lead to the old legacies being quickly lost and forgotten by the new generation. "I am frequently shocked when I meet younger Singaporeans who have never heard of Dr Goh," he said.
Both speakers were not alone in expressing uncertainty over how Singapore’s future, sans Mr Lee, would play out. During the Q&A session, which was off—the—record, the audience raised concerns such as how the country would be deprived of its most astute and influential critic — and whether Mr Lee’s legacy, or indeed Singapore, could unravel.
While Mr Lee’s retirement would "create a huge political vacuum", Prof Mahbubani believes Singapore has "done a lot" to protect his legacy, such as instilling a deep culture of meritocracy and incorruptibility.
And Mr Ho had no doubts Singaporeans could "muddle their way through", even if the PAP’s leadership renewal "fails to deliver what it has done for the past 50 years".
Mr Lee’s greatest legacy, he said, "is that the Singapore which he so passionately shaped will outlive not only him, but even his own party, should that ever come to pass".
The reason: In his single most critical imperative — nation building — Mr Lee has largely succeeded, said Mr Ho, who has found young Singaporeans to own a strong sense of involvement and ownership in the country, contrary to stereotype.
"Equally contrary to some people’s wishful thinking, there is not likely to be dramatic, broad—brush social or political liberalisation," said Mr Ho. "This is not a pent up society waiting for the demise of the strongman in order to overturn highly unpopular laws."
Rather, the government has the support of the politically—vital heartland in its pragmatic, incremental approach to change, even as it responds to tomorrow’s generation, he said.
— TODAY/so
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tales from the Crypt
SINGAPORE (AFP) - - Wong Shun Feng says he has seen spirits, been afflicted by supernatural phenomena and taken advice from gods -- and that it's all just part of the job.
ADVERTISEMENT
Affectionately known to his friends as "Tua Ya Pek" after a Taoist god of the spiritual underworld, Wong is a gravedigger who exhumes the bones of the dead to make way for development in Singapore.
According to Taoist belief, Wong is among the first to greet the dead when they embark on their journey beyond the grave.
But instead of guiding the spirits towards reincarnation, nirvana (transcendence) or the "nine hells," he sends them to a new earthly resting place as cemeteries make way for roads, housing and public services.
The dead are not always willing to move, he says.
"I've seen spirits hovering beside me as I dig their grave, heard them whisper to me 'Ah Tee (young man), please don't move me'," Wong recalls matter-of-factly.
But not all spirits are so benign, he said.
The 53-year-old, who has been a gravedigger for almost 30 years, says he once saw a tree standing over a grave he was exhuming "shaking violently when trees next to it were still -- and there was no breeze".
He said once he was even "punished" for disrespecting the dead when he swore at a grave.
"In the evening after the dig, my left forearm was completely stiff even though I did not injure it, like the forearm of a corpse, and it was only after midnight that I regained use of it," said Wong, gesturing to the affected area.
Nevertheless, he says he is not afraid of the supernatural.
"As long as you have a good heart, they won't harm you," he said.
Neither does he care that people here might look down on him as an anachronism in a Westernised society, despite the fact that superstition has deep roots among ethnic Chinese, who account for 75 percent of the 3.6 million population.
"People might think that this type of work is taboo but I'm fine with it. I like the rugged life," he said.
A stocky man, Wong cuts an imposing figure with a variety of tattoos, the most prominent of which are the images of Tua Ya Pek and Li Ya Pek emblazoned across his chest and back.
The images of the two Taoist deities, who are said to be in charge of keeping spirits in line, are not there for decoration.
"I respect the gods, that's why I tattoo them on my body," said Wong, who claims to have seen apparitions of the gods and received lessons on life and work from them.
On a recent exhumation conducted by the Singapore Land Authority to clear a Chinese cemetery in northern Singapore for redevelopment, it took Wong and three colleagues nearly three hours to dig a narrow hole about four metres (12 feet) deep.
Using simple tools such as plowshares, crowbars and wicker baskets, they burrowed through soil, sand and cement, which the rich used in the past to seal their graves, before finally reaching the coffin.
Prying open the lid, Wong and another gravedigger picked out the bones and washed them with rice wine before handing them to the family, who gave them red packets containing token sums of money in appreciation.
These envelopes are the main source of income for gravediggers because the 100 dollar (65 US) payment for each exhumation only goes to one individual and the gravediggers take turns receiving it.
"The income is not fixed. It depends on how generous the families are with their red packets," said Wong.
As the work is not stable he supplements his earnings with odd jobs such as house painting and repairs.
But he has his hands full for the moment as the 70,000-square-metre (753,000-square-feet) Guang Xiao Shan Cemetery, near the border with Malaysia, has been earmarked for conversion into a train depot.
The pace of Singapore's development has meant that between 1970 and 1998, more than 240,000 graves in 100 cemeteries were exhumed, the latest available estimate shows.
And according to Wong, all the deceased, including the current "residents," must be placated.
"Ghosts are the same as human beings," he said. "They have feelings and emotions as well. How would you feel if you had to shift after living in the same place for 50 years?"
When asked about his own mortality, Wong shrugged as he pointed to the tattoo of the deity Li Ya Pek smiling serenely on his chest.
"I haven't really thought about it. Let's see what my big brother says," he said with a laugh.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
'Curse you to seventh circle of hell' - Khmer Rogue
'Curse you to seventh circle of hell'
Khmer Rouge 'First Lady' lashes out at UN tribunal
Feb 25 2009
PHNOM PENH: - Pol Pot's sister-in-law launched an angry tirade at Cambodia's United Nations-backed genocide tribunal yesterday, telling her accusers they would be 'cursed to the seventh circle of hell'.
Ieng Thirith, 76, the ultra-Maoist movement's social minister now charged with crimes against humanity, erupted at the prosecution's suggestion that she was aware of atrocities at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison during the Khmer Rouge rule from 1975 to 1979.
'Don't accuse me of being a murderer, otherwise you will cursed to the seventh circle of hell,' Ieng Thirith, whose sister Khieu Ponnary was married to Pol Pot. said in an 15-minute outburst. 'I don't know why a good person is accused of such crimes and I have suffered a great deal and I cannot really be patient because I have been wrongly accused.'
She said she only oversaw teams rebuilding hospitals destroyed by the years of civil war that preceded the fall of Phnom Penh in 1975.
The tribunal was created in 2006 to try leading members of the Khmer Rouge regime, which wiped out up to two million people through starvation, overwork and execution in a bid to forge a communist utopia. Its first trial started last week when the regime's torturer- in-chief Kaing Guek Eav, 66, also known as Duch, went before the court.
Duch's trial will resume on March 30, the court said yesterday, with at least 40 witnesses expected to testify against the former chief of Phnom Penh's S-21 prison, where an estimated 14,000 people were tortured and killed.
Ieng Thirith, speaking a mixture of English and Khmer, said 'everything was done by Nuon Chea', the regime's top ideologue who is among the five top cadres facing trial at the tribunal over the regime's atrocities.
However, the health of the ageing suspects is a concern. Ieng Thirith's husband, former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary, was hospitalised on Monday for blood in his urine, court spokesman Reach Sambath said. It was the ninth time Ieng Sary, 83, has been rushed to hospital since the couple were detained by the court in November 2007.
Pol Pot, the leader of the regime, himself died in 1998.
In documents read to the court yesterday, investigating judges argued it was necessary to keep Ieng Thirith in jail to protect her security, preserve public order and ensure she did not flee from trial.
But defence lawyer Phat Pouv Seang demanded her immediate release, saying there was inadequate evidence.
The court will announce at a later date whether judges will release Ieng Thirith from detention before her trial.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
Tsunami museum opens to commemorate 230,000 dead
Tsunami museum opens to commemorate 230,000 dead
BANDA ACEH: - Indonesia has opened a US$5.6 million (S$8.5 million) museum to commemorate the 230,000 people who died in the 2004 Asian tsunami.
The four-storey building in hardest-hit Aceh province exhibits photographs of victims, stories of survivors and an electronic simulation of the massive undersea earthquake that triggered the 10m-high waves.
It was designed by local architect Ridwan Kamil.
The museum also describes the tremendous outpouring of support from governments, companies and individuals in the aftermath of the Dec 26, 2004 disaster, which caused death and destruction in a dozen nations.
More than US$13 billion was pledged to house and feed survivors and to rebuild devastated coasts.
The government says the museum is an important part of the recovery process, paying tribute to those who died and explaining to future generations what happened and why.
The opening of the museum on Monday was not without controversy.
More than 700 families are still living in barracks in Aceh, which was home to two-thirds of the victims. Some were disappointed to see millions of dollars being spent on a monument.
'They should be taking care of us first,' said Madam Anisah Tahir, 50, who has been living with her husband and two children in a tiny room in a squalid camp in Banda Aceh.
'We need a decent place to live and sleep,' she said.
Indonesia is located in the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. It is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Freed terror detainees fit well in society
Freed terror detainees fit well in society
Rehabilitation efforts effective; none has slipped back into bad old ways
By Goh Chin Lian
23 Feb 2009
TWO-THIRDS of Singapore's terrorist detainees arrested since 2001 have been released after rehabilitation, and so far, none has strayed back into terrorism.
Close to 40 men with past terror links have been released and have returned to society, some for four years or more.
Another 20 remain in detention.
Those who have been released have re-integrated well into society, Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said yesterday at the first international conference on terrorist rehabilitation to be held here.
Addressing 200 participants from 20 countries, Mr Shanmugam said the conference is 'timely'. Rehabilitation is a critical part of counter-terrorism but has not received the necessary attention internationally, he added.
During the three-day conference, much of which is closed-door, government officials and experts will share case studies from such countries as Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Indonesia.
Officials from Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh will also talk about rehabilitation programmes that they hope to put in place and the challenges they are facing.
The event is organised by the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and a group of volunteer Islamic teachers and scholars who make up the Religious Rehabilitation Group.
One major challenge to current rehabilitation efforts is the lack of a foolproof way to assess whether a terrorist has been truly reformed, Mr Shanmugam said.
That is why in Singapore, released detainees must continue to attend a rehabilitation programme that aims to inoculate them against radical ideas.
The authorities here do not ever declare success but know they 'will always have to remain alert', he added.
Singapore's track record compares well against that of other countries. About one in 10 of those released from the United States' detention facility in Guantanamo Bay is either known or suspected to have returned to terrorist activity.
Saudi Arabia has re-arrested slightly over 1 per cent of its released former detainees for security offences.
While explaining that Singapore takes a holistic approach that incorporates psychological and religious aspects in rehabilitation, Mr Shanmugam also stressed that there can be no one-size-fits-all solution which will be effective across the globe.
'Every country has its unique security, cultural and social context, and the factors which lead people to and away from terrorism also differ from one country to the next,' he said.
Conference speaker Douglas Stone said a key lesson from Iraq was that physical detention alone could lead to greater radicalisation if the underlying motivations for terrorism were not addressed.
A former deputy commanding general of the multinational force in Iraq, Dr Stone was in charge of detainees there from April 2007 to June 2008.
Psychologist Michele Gelfand, of the University of Maryland in the US, said researchers are working on an index to measure the extent of a detainee's deradicalisation, by studying such factors as his approval of violence and perception of justice towards Muslims.
Professor Rohan Gunaratna, who heads the terrorism research centre here, praised Singapore's rehabilitation programme as the most systematic in the world.
'They take a very long-range view, and invested significant intellectual and other resources to study the best practices,' he said.
Mr Shanmugam also launched a web portal, www.P4Peace.com, developed by the research centre to provide a one-stop source of information on counter-terrorism.
It also aims to promote discussion on peaceful alternatives to terror, and thereby spark a counter-movement to the spread of terrorist ideas online.
chinlian@sph.com.sg
Rehabilitation efforts effective; none has slipped back into bad old ways
By Goh Chin Lian
23 Feb 2009
TWO-THIRDS of Singapore's terrorist detainees arrested since 2001 have been released after rehabilitation, and so far, none has strayed back into terrorism.
Close to 40 men with past terror links have been released and have returned to society, some for four years or more.
Another 20 remain in detention.
Those who have been released have re-integrated well into society, Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said yesterday at the first international conference on terrorist rehabilitation to be held here.
Addressing 200 participants from 20 countries, Mr Shanmugam said the conference is 'timely'. Rehabilitation is a critical part of counter-terrorism but has not received the necessary attention internationally, he added.
During the three-day conference, much of which is closed-door, government officials and experts will share case studies from such countries as Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Indonesia.
Officials from Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh will also talk about rehabilitation programmes that they hope to put in place and the challenges they are facing.
The event is organised by the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and a group of volunteer Islamic teachers and scholars who make up the Religious Rehabilitation Group.
One major challenge to current rehabilitation efforts is the lack of a foolproof way to assess whether a terrorist has been truly reformed, Mr Shanmugam said.
That is why in Singapore, released detainees must continue to attend a rehabilitation programme that aims to inoculate them against radical ideas.
The authorities here do not ever declare success but know they 'will always have to remain alert', he added.
Singapore's track record compares well against that of other countries. About one in 10 of those released from the United States' detention facility in Guantanamo Bay is either known or suspected to have returned to terrorist activity.
Saudi Arabia has re-arrested slightly over 1 per cent of its released former detainees for security offences.
While explaining that Singapore takes a holistic approach that incorporates psychological and religious aspects in rehabilitation, Mr Shanmugam also stressed that there can be no one-size-fits-all solution which will be effective across the globe.
'Every country has its unique security, cultural and social context, and the factors which lead people to and away from terrorism also differ from one country to the next,' he said.
Conference speaker Douglas Stone said a key lesson from Iraq was that physical detention alone could lead to greater radicalisation if the underlying motivations for terrorism were not addressed.
A former deputy commanding general of the multinational force in Iraq, Dr Stone was in charge of detainees there from April 2007 to June 2008.
Psychologist Michele Gelfand, of the University of Maryland in the US, said researchers are working on an index to measure the extent of a detainee's deradicalisation, by studying such factors as his approval of violence and perception of justice towards Muslims.
Professor Rohan Gunaratna, who heads the terrorism research centre here, praised Singapore's rehabilitation programme as the most systematic in the world.
'They take a very long-range view, and invested significant intellectual and other resources to study the best practices,' he said.
Mr Shanmugam also launched a web portal, www.P4Peace.com, developed by the research centre to provide a one-stop source of information on counter-terrorism.
It also aims to promote discussion on peaceful alternatives to terror, and thereby spark a counter-movement to the spread of terrorist ideas online.
chinlian@sph.com.sg
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