Indonesia to disband Hizb ut-Tahrir

JAKARTA: Indonesia said Monday it would disband the local branch of  Hizb ut-Tahrir, as concerns grow about hardliners in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which calls to unify all Muslims into a caliphate, has been operating for decades in Indonesia and has a large following.

Announcing the plan to disband the organisation in Indonesia, Chief Security Minister Wiranto said: “The government needs to firmly take legal steps to disband HTI (Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia).”

“(HTI’s) activities… could threaten public security and order and endanger the unity of Indonesia,” added the minister, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

He said authorities would go to court to get the group dissolved but insisted that the decision did not mean the government was against all Muslim organisations.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which has branches around the world, is already banned in several countries. It could not immediately be reached for comment.

The group regularly stages protests and the Indonesian branch often demonstrates against the United States.