The Indonesian state remains vigilant against acts of treason and threats to its integrity, serious or otherwise.

T-Shirts

On 25th April police in Ternate, Maluku Utara arrested a 29 year old man for wearing a t-shirt with a communist hammer and sickle on it. Police also questioned five other people who were near the man at the time they saw him wearing the t-shirt. metrotv

The man said he didn’t know what the symbol meant, and that he’d bought the shirt in a local market. antara

Again in the Moluccas, in Ambon city on 29th April a man was arrested for wearing a t-shirt with the flag of the separatist Republik Maluku Selatan (RMS) movement on it. antara

Flags

On 24th April in Ambon city a husband and wife were arrested after their home was raided and two RMS flags found within it, along with other separatist material. Police suspected the couple intended to raise the flags to mark the anniversary of the South Maluku Republic on 25th April. indosiar

And in early April the trials of those men who had danced and waved RMS flags in front of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in June of 2007 (see Dancing Separatists) concluded, with the leader of the group, Johan Teterisa Alis Jhon alias Yoyo (46), being sentenced to life imprisonment. Sentences for others involved ranged from 15 to 20 years. antara

Islamic State

In several cities of West Java on 20th April the anti-terror squad Densus 88 arrested 20 men thought to belong to the Negara Islam Indonesia (NII) movement. They were later released for some reason.

On 24th April 17 of these men were re-arrested in Bandung, with 10 among them being considered suspects, the other 7 being considered witnesses.

The 10 remaining men are thought to have some connection to Al-Zaytun school in Indramayu (or Ma’had Az Zaitun). Some reports say the men are suspected of embezzlement of NII membership funds, while others say they are to be charged with treason against Indonesia, because they aim to establish an Islamic state. okezone antara

Three out of the 17 men tried for attempting to establish a separatist Indonesian Islamic State (NII) were found guilty of treason on December 12th 2008 and sentenced to five years in prison by the Bandung District Court. jakartapost