Govt told to consult Muslim figures to avoid backlash<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In the wake of the United Nations' decision to put Jamaah
\nIslamiyah (JI) on its terrorist blacklist, the government needs
\nto take an immediate approach to quell concerns in the Muslim
\ncommunity in order to curb a potential backlash, an observer
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Noted scholar Juwono Sudarsono said on Sunday that as a
\nmember of the UN, Indonesia had to comply with the decision, but
\nas the world's most populous Muslim country, it should act in a
\ntransparent way.<\/p>\n
\"The government has to explain to Muslim groups whether there
\nare any Indonesian citizens linked to JI, while at the same time
\nit should thoroughly investigate the possibility of the group's
\npresence here,\" Juwono told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The next step Indonesia has to take is to assign the central
\nbank and the Ministry of Finance with tracing all accounts
\nsuspected of having a connection with the organization, Juwono
\nadded.<\/p>\n
He underlined that the government had failed to provide a
\nclear explanation for the reason behind its support to include JI
\non the UN's terrorist list and that this could provoke a backlash
\nfrom Muslims here.<\/p>\n
\"However, we have to comply with the UN's policy, otherwise
\nthe rest of the world will think we are not serious in combating
\nterrorism,\" said the former defense minister, who served during
\nthe administration of Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
The UN Security Council placed JI on Friday on a sanctions
\nlist for having links to al-Qaeda.<\/p>\n
Any person or group on the list is subject to international
\nsanctions. All UN member nations are required to freeze their
\nassets, prevent their movements and block any attempts to sell or
\ntransfer arms to them.<\/p>\n
Muslim moderates and hard-liners in Indonesia reacted
\nnegatively to the inclusion of JI on the list of terrorist
\ngroups, saying that they were afraid it would justify a crackdown
\non certain Muslim groups known for their opposition to the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Some of these groups have planned to rally at the House of
\nRepresentatives to voice their concern over the issue.<\/p>\n
While maintaining cautiousness, the chairman of the United
\nDevelopment Party of Reform, Zainuddin MZ, said the government
\ncould go ahead with an investigation into JI's link to certain
\nMuslim groups in the country as long as it obtained solid
\nevidence.<\/p>\n
\"It is okay to investigate these organizations, but please
\nprovide proof if they were involved in terrorist acts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Some of Indonesia's neighboring countries have accused the
\norganization, led by cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, of being a
\nterrorist group. Singapore and Malaysia arrested JI members in
\ntheir respective countries after finding evidence of the group's
\nplan to attack U.S. interests in the region and to establish a
\npan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
JI is said to be linked with al-Qaeda, which is accused of
\nmasterminding the Sept. 11 attack on the United States last year.<\/p>\n
Only after a huge bomb rocked Bali two weeks ago did
\nCoordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono admit publicly that Indonesian citizens -- the
\nlate Abdullah Sungkar, Ba'asyir and Hambali -- led the
\norganization.<\/p>\n
Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil has not ruled out the
\npossibility of JI's role in the bombing, which killed nearly 200,
\nmostly foreigners.<\/p>\n
Despite support to name JI a terrorist group, Jakarta has
\ninsisted that the organization is not operating in the country.<\/p>\n
Ailing Ba'asyir is being detained by police. Police have
\ncharged him with having a role in a series of bombings in the
\ncountry in 2000 and a plot to assassinate Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nbefore she assumed power in July last year.<\/p>\n
Juwono underlined that following the UN decision, the
\ngovernment should clearly explain each step it takes against JI
\nto avoid a negative reaction from Muslims.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Australian government followed in the footsteps
\nof other countries on Sunday and listed JI as a terrorist group
\nunder Australian law, Attorney General Daryl Williams said.<\/p>\n
\"Members of Jemaah Islamiyah are now on notice that they are
\ncommitting a serious criminal offense, and that they face
\nprosecution and significant penalties,\" Williams said in a
\nstatement quoted by AP.<\/p>\n
Listing a group as a terrorist allows the government to more
\nrapidly prosecute members or supporters under tough new laws
\ncreated after Sept. 11, which carry prison terms of up to 25
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Australia and the United States campaigned for the UN listing
\nlast week. Canberra made the formal request on Wednesday because
\nAustralian law prohibits the government from declaring a group a
\nterrorist organization unless it is listed by the United Nations.<\/p>",
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