Defence Minister, Ryamizard Ryacudu, has asked young generation to defend the country to anticipate against terrorism and radicalism.
“I want to remind the young generation that it’s important to have integrity and mentality while not giving up to defend the country,” he said when becoming keynote speaker in the National Seminar themed State Defence to celebrate UGM's 68th anniversary in the Senate Hall UGM on Tuesday (19/12).
Minister Ryamizard said state defence awareness had to exist in the stance and behaviour of each citizen of Indonesia. This is important to prevent the emergence of real threats against Indonesia, such as terrorism, radicalism, separatism, cyber war, and illegal drugs.
“Apart from physical threats, we also face non-physical threats in the form of ideological attacks using soft power to damage the mindset and identity of the Indonesian nation,” he said.
The ideological attacks, said Minister Ryamizard, were modern war or known as proxy war that is used through systemic attempts to weaken and destroy a nation’s ideology.
“This type of war is cheap, using no weapons, but may destroy a nation,” he said.
Therefore, the Minister emphasised on the importance of state defence enhancement for national unity. Meanwhile, Chief of National Police, Gen. Tito Karnavian, in the event reiterated the importance of managing Indonesia’s diversity in order to prevent disintegration.
“The diversity makes Indonesia rich, but if it’s not managed will, it can be the source of disintegration instead,” he said. In his opinion, conflict happened due to exploited differences among society. But such differences would clash with each other if not managed well.
”Differences ought to be reduced, what needs to be exploited is similarities so this would create solidarity,” he concluded.