Sypnosis

The International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) and the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) co-organising the Inaugural Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation, is an example how different segments of the society can and must collaborate in countering terrorism, said Mr K Shanmugam.

24 February 2009

Opening address by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, at the Inaugural Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation held on 24 Feb 2009 at the Goodwood Park Hotel.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for inviting me to be here at the Inaugural Conference on Terrorist Rehabilitation jointly organised by the Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG).

The major elements in CT that gets attention:
(i) Deterrence
(ii) Security & Intelligence Operations
But rehabilitation is also critical, once terrorists are caught. But it has not received the necessary attention internationally.

This Conference is timely.

Putting into practice an effective rehabilitation strategy is not easy.

Deeply indoctrinated terrorists – wean them away from their radical beliefs.

Another major challenge :-
(i) How do you know you have reformed the terrorist?
(ii) No foolproof assessment system.

In Singapore, terrorist detainees undergo a holistic programme that incorporates psychological, social, and religious aspects of rehabilitation. They continue on the rehabilitation programme even after their release from detention, to ensure that they remain inoculated against radical ideas. To date, two-thirds of the terrorist detainees we have arrested since 2001 have been released after rehabilitation. So far, they have not strayed back into terrorism and have re-integrated well into society, but we are still closely monitoring. I understand that this is the subject of one of the briefings over the next few days.

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. But we should share ideas and experiences as there are commonalities as well.

The issue – of how we counter terrorist ideas at the societal level - also merits some discussion during the conference. Even as we take action against those who have gone down the path of terrorism, we should also invest in efforts to prevent others from being similarly misled.

In this context, I am delighted to welcome participants from 20 countries to this conference. Each of you brings to the table your respective expertise on terrorism and rehabilitation from various regions as well as from different perspectives – government, academia, and civil society. Ideas and strategies shared here, will, I hope, germinate in time into effective and practical solutions that will help us meet the challenges we face.

We thank the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies and the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) for co-organising this conference. This itself is an example of how different segments of society can and must collaborate in countering terrorism. The ICPVTR is an international academic hub which provides cutting-edge, action-oriented research on terrorism and security issues. The RRG, on the other hand, is a group of volunteer religious teachers and scholars involved in counseling terrorist detainees in Singapore and educating the community about the dangers of terrorist ideas and how they contradict true Islamic principles.

Forged by a common mission, the ICPVTR and the RRG have built on each other’s capabilities to make this conference a reality. Equally importantly, the information sharing and collaboration will not end after the conference.

I am also happy to be asked to introduce an online portal developed by ICPVTR.The portal, aptly named P4Peace.com, is a repository and one-stop-shop for information and resources relating to terrorism as well as those that promote peace and harmony. The aim of this portal is to circumvent the spread of terrorist ideas on the Internet by developing a counter-movement through providing a platform for discourse on pro-social and peaceful alternatives to terrorism. It will also facilitate information-sharing and collaboration among counter-terrorism practitioners and academics. As with any other online network, active participation and contributions is necessary for the portal to achieve its objectives.

Let me conclude by wishing you all a fruitful conference.

Thank you.

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