Ba'asyir off lightly<\/p>\n
Given Abu Bakar Ba'asyir's likely acquittal on appeal, the
\nreal surprise was not the terrorist group leader's conviction
\nover involvement in the 2002 Bali bombings, or even the risible
\n30-months' jail sentence handed to him by a Jakarta court,
\nfrustratingly and infuriatingly inadequate as the punishment is.
\nThat seven charges against Ba'asyir -- six were found unproved --
\neven got to trial in the first place was a victory against the
\nodds of prosecutorial will in a nation where judicial
\nindependence is in its infancy.<\/p>\n
The Australian government has captured the people's sentiment
\nand rightly expressed our communal indignation to Jakarta at the
\nleniency of sentence for a man we hold as having at least
\ninspired terrorist atrocities.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir's lawyers said his conviction amounted to a political
\ncompromise intended to satisfy countries like the US, which led
\nthe diplomatic condemnation of the sentence, without lighting the
\nfuse of revolt in a divided Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In a sense, that may be true. But a faulty conviction does not
\nexcuse Ba'asyir or his many followers. A terrorist is a
\nterrorist, whether he or she details the schedule, makes the bomb
\nor rouses followers to violence. Abu Bakar Ba'asyir may yet beat
\nthe conspiracy rap but he is forever marked by his evil.
\n-- The Sydney Morning Herald<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/baasyir-off-lightly-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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