The Straits Times
By Zakir Hussain
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A rare glimpse into the lives of detainees held in Singapore for terror activities was unveiled yesterday in an international report presented at an Interpol meeting.
Held in individual cells at Whitley Road Detention Centre, these extremists are isolated from one another and follow a daily routine that includes two to four hours of psychological assessments, critical reflection, studying or religious counselling.
When they make sufficient progress in their rehabilitation, they are then released on restriction orders, but they continue to be monitored regularly.
This structured programme to convince them to renounce violent extremism is one of a kind, according to the report which looks at strategies to counter the terror threat in five countries.
“It is a long-term, resource-intensive programme with perpetual follow-up,” said the report, titled Risk Reduction For Countering Violent Extremism, which also looked at Indonesia, Northern Ireland, Britain and France.
The report was published by the Qatar International Academy for Security Studies (QIASS) and released at the Interpol General Assembly in Doha, where combating terrorism is a key discussion topic for police and security chiefs present.
A team of 11 academics, psychologists and former law enforcement and intelligence officers worked on the report over 10 months.
They found there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fighting terror. But they felt the experiences of various countries hold lessons that may be helpful.
Ms. Susan Sim, a security consultant and the project’s South-east Asia area expert, said: “We’re not handing out labels, but the team walked away with the impression that the Singapore programme’s integrated approach would be the gold standard.”
Other lessons highlighted in the report include the need for security agents to befriend radicals, as is done in Indonesia, and Britain’s agencies tackling underlying grievances that radicalise individuals.
In preparing the report, several team members visited Singapore in late August this year to find out about Singapore’s rehabilitation efforts. In meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, Internal Security Department (ISD) officers and Muslim community leaders, they found, among other things, that officers actively engage detainees to reorient their thinking and beliefs.
Detainees undergo “cognitive-behavioural intervention”, which teaches a person to control his emotions, among other things. They are also urged to carry out critical reflection.
In addition, they undergo a social rehabilitation programme that encourages them to pursue academic qualifications, vocational training or positive work habits. These are to pave the way for their integration into society when they are freed.
Religious rehabilitation is also key. Religious leaders counsel detainees on how they have misinterpreted Islamic teachings, like being taken in by the Jemaah Islamiah’s ideology and its call to armed jihad.
The programme has seen three-quarters of about 60 detainees released, none of whom have returned to their militant ways. Most who are freed remain on restriction orders, which limit their activities.
Dr Michael Gelles, a psychologist who led the team on its Singapore visit, believes elements like promoting critical thinking have helped wean extremists off violence.
The report also underlines the value of social service professionals and religious leaders working closely with ISD officers to help extremists reject violence. Such grassroots partnerships are critical, it adds, noting that they “create a synergy that none could accomplish alone”.
The report also notes that although all Singapore detainees are men, ISD officers say plans are in place to accommodate women, if necessary. These include separate facilities and female counsellors.
QIASS executive director Ali Soufan, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who led the 11-man team, said a soft, rather than harsh, approach might prove to be more effective. The report’s project manager, Mr. Mark Fallon, said the approach paid off in Indonesia, where terrorists expected to be brutalised in custody but were instead treated with dignity.
“You can start that process of re-engagement upon capture,” he said.
The effort, however, is costly, said the report. But “it pales in comparison to the costs of terrorist attacks and of monitoring unreformed released terrorists,” it added…
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