Govt admits JI cell active in RI, but no Indonesians on UN list<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After persistent denials, the Indonesian government officially
\nadmitted on Wednesday the presence of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) cells
\nin the country, and said they had possible links to the Bali
\nbombing.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda acknowledged that
\na number of Indonesian citizens led JI, and therefore, it would
\nbe impossible to say that there were no JI cells here.<\/p>\n
\"Several central leaders of the organization such as Hambali
\nand Imam Samudra are Indonesian citizens. So, in terms of JI
\ncells, yes it exists here.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, we cannot identify the real shape of the
\norganization or point out its headquarters as such an
\norganization is fluid and hard to identify,\" Hassan remarked.<\/p>\n
Separately, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said in
\nDenpasar, Bali, on Wednesday that Imam Samudra had been
\nimplicated in the deadly Bali bombing and in other bombings in
\nthe country by the detained suspect Amrozi.<\/p>\n
However, the police chief, who met Amrozi at Bali Police
\nHeadquarters, did not identify Samudra as a JI member.<\/p>\n
Hassan said that with the finding of a possible link between
\nSamudra as a JI member and the Bali bombing, it would be easier
\nfor the security forces to investigate JI cells and their assets,
\nand then freeze them as required by the United Nations.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, the Bali investigation makes it easier for us to
\nunravel the linkages between radical groups in the country and
\nJemaah Islamiyah,\" Hassan underlined.<\/p>\n
The government had repeatedly said JI was not operating in the
\ncountry, although it did admit that the organization's leaders
\nand founders were Indonesian citizens.<\/p>\n
But, after the Bali bombing, more evidence about its presence
\nin Indonesia emerged, and pressure mounted for the government to
\nact against its leaders.<\/p>\n
Indonesia then joined 47 other countries in supporting the
\ninclusion of JI on the UN consolidated terrorist list.<\/p>\n
As a result, the United Nations late last month added JI to
\nits list of groups and people whose assets should be frozen due
\nto suspected ties to Osama bin Laden or his al-Qaeda network.<\/p>\n
Putting groups and individuals on the UN list obliges the
\nUnited Nations' 191 member-nations to freeze their funds and
\nother assets and block their movements.<\/p>\n
The goal of the UN list, which is maintained by a UN Security
\nCouncil committee and currently has more than 300 names of
\nbusinesses, individuals and organizations, is to deprive alleged
\nterrorists of the money and other resources they need to carry
\nout attacks.<\/p>\n
Despite the inclusion of JI on the UN's terrorist list, no
\nIndonesian names appear on the list although the organization was
\nfounded by Indonesians. The only Indonesian name submitted to the
\nUN was the late Abdullah Sungkar, the founder of JI.<\/p>\n
In fact, the government has on some occasions claimed that the
\ndetained Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, head of the Indonesian Mujahiddin
\nCouncil, and Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali, are JI leaders.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir is in police detention as a suspect in a series of
\nbombings across the country. He is currently being treated at a
\npolice hospital in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Hambali has also been named as a suspect in a series of
\nbombings, but he is still at large. In fact, Hambali has been
\ndescribed as the most wanted man in Southeast Asia as he is also
\nwanted by Malaysia and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Samudra has also been tentatively identified as the main
\nsuspect in the Bali bombing.<\/p>\n
But their names were not submitted to the UN.<\/p>\n
Most of the names on the UN list have come from the United
\nStates. But China, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan have also
\ncontributed names.<\/p>\n
Hassan further underlined that a government team was preparing
\na report for the UN Security Council regarding the activities of
\nJemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"The ongoing investigation in Bali has helped us in preparing
\nmore detailed reports for the UN Security Council,\" the minister
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
However, it is not yet clear if the Indonesian government
\nwould submit the names of suspected Indonesian JI leaders,
\nincluding Ba'asyir, Hambali and Samudra, to the UN.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-admits-ji-cell-active-in-ri-but-no-indonesians-on-un-list-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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