REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of Informatics and Communication Rudiantara said his office has been coordinating with YouTube to counter ISIS videos promoting terrorism.
"We have (done it), and we will continue coordinating with YouTube. YouTube is part of Google and Google has an office here, so if something happens, we may just directly go there," he said here on Tuesday.
As an example, he referred to the recent blocking of a video showing Indonesian children participating in an ISIS training program.
"Yesterday, the video (showing Indonesian children participating in an ISIS training program) vanished in just an hour. YouTube helped much. Our cooperation has been good," he added.
He admitted that blocking sites propagating terrorism and radicalism has been more difficult than blocking porn sites because porn sites are usually commercial and hence have clear keywords.
"If there are xxx, well, that is it. It is clearly a porn site. Their keywords are easier to find. In the case of terrorism or radicalism sites, their keywords are 'abracadabra,'" he explained.
According to the minister, his office has increased alertness to counter radicalism and terrorism spread by ISIS through cyber networks.
Last Saturday, Indonesian police's counterterrorism squad arrested six people for allegedly assisting and sponsoring Indonesians' travel to Syria to join ISIS.
The six were arrested in Jakarta, Tangerang, and Bekasi on the same day. Of them, only four were actively involved in recruitments, police said.
Police have identified the four as Aprianul Henri, Engkos Koswara, Fachry, and Muhammad Amin Mude. Besides funding and recruiting Indonesians for ISIS, they also prepared Islamic state propaganda, police spokesman Sr.Comr Rikwanto pointed out.
Earlier, Turkey detained 16 Indonesians who were caught when they were trying to cross into Syria from a Turkish border city. Twelve of them will be repatriated to Indonesia, head of the State Intelligence Agency Marciano Norman revealed.
Meanwhile, another group of 16 Indonesians who went missing in Turkey are believed to have crossed into Syria to join ISIS.
So far, around 500 Indonesians have reportedly joined ISIS in the Middle East.
The Indonesian police have appealed to the people of the country to be wary of irresponsible parties persuading them to join the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.
"We appeal to all national elements to spread awareness among the younger generation of the country so they are not tempted to go abroad and join ISIS without a clear mission," Polri Public Relations Spokesman Brigadier General Anton Charliyan emphasized here on Friday (March 20).
According to him, the police suspect that some people had been lured into ISIS by economic motivation.
"We have information that anything between Rp20 million and Rp150 million per month is offered to an individual for becoming an ISIS soldier," Anton claimed, adding that the media should inform and educate the public regarding the dangers of joining this terrorist group.
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