Indonesian Militants Regroup in Prison

One Islamist militancy expert in Indonesia say militants may be regrouping, using contacts they form while in prison.

Some of the extremists linked to Aceh Province have been allowed to hold meetings inside prisons. They recruit from their jail cells, own mobile phones and have visitors stay overnight.

Islamist militant expert Sidney Jones says several of those captured in a series of raids had recently been released from prison.

[Sidney Jones, Islamist Militant Expert]: (English, Female)
"In the cell, we interviewed somebody who had 15 (mobile phones) and there is supposed to be a ban on hand phones and that is not enforced.”

Authorities in Jakarta believe the Aceh group was likely to be a completely new branch of extremists. They were known to reject both the radical organization Jemaah Islamiah and a splinter group led by Noordin Mohammad Top, a Malaysian-born bombing mastermind slain last year.

[Sidney Jones, Islamist Militant Expert]: (English, Female)
"One of the things that is underscored is the extent of Jihadi network in Indonesia precisely because so many different groups could be brought in. And I also think that more than before the revelation of who was involved in this group as key thinkers and masterminds—with so many people who were released prisoners, underscores how poorly we are monitoring the people who are arrested, in the prison and the ex-prisoners, and I think that's got to be improved."

Police say there is also further evidence of regional cooperation. Groups in Aceh are believed to have links to a violent Philippines-based group known as Abu Sayyaf.