140 Members of Khilafah Muslimin Located in East Nusa Tenggara: Kesbangpol

TheIndonesia.co - The National and Political Unity Agency (Kesbangpol) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has revealed that 140 members of Islamic group Khilafah Muslimin are found to be situated in West Manggarai regency in the province.

According to head of Kesbangpol NTT Jhon Oktavianus these group members are spread across three subdistricts within the regency.

“They are located in three subdistricts in West Manggarai as well as several locations in a number of islands in the area,” Oktavianus said on Monday, July 11, as reported by Antara.

According to him, this data was found after the emergence of Khilafah Muslimin members in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, which caused concerns among members of the public.

The 140 members reportedly hold membership card, and the majority of them have no understanding that the group’s teachings are against national ideology Pancasila.

“They’re just followers. They only understood that they can learn about religion, but they were surprised to find other objectives,” Oktavianus explained.

Kesbangpol NTT is working with local government, the police, and the National Police's counterterrorism unit Detachment 88 (Densus 88) to continue monitoring the group and the members’ whereabouts.

Hundreds of the group members are said to have committed to quit baiat (oath of allegiance to a leader) and to re-acknowledge Pancasila as their ideology.

“In July, we target them all to leave Khilafah Muslimin, and in August 17, we’ll invite them for [Independence Day] ceremony,” Oktavianus revealed.

The Kesbangpol NTT leader also said that it becomes more particularly important for the area to be monitored from any radicalism because Labuan Bajo is a renowned tourist destination and is visited by up to hundreds of thousands visitors every year.