Indonesia's war on terrorism goes on, Mega assures the world<\/p>\n
Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Tiarma Siboro, Bali\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has said Indonesia has been more
\nserious in fighting terrorism than other countries, despite a new
\nruling that has cast doubt on the convictions of the Bali
\nbombers.<\/p>\n
\"If I'm not mistaken, Indonesia could be the first and only
\ncountry to have consistently resolved acts of terrorism and
\nlegally prosecuted them in court,\" she said in a speech on
\nTuesday to the Asia and the Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
\ntransportation ministerial meeting on the resort island of Bali.<\/p>\n
Megawati said Indonesia would remain consistent in fighting
\nterrorism through legal procedures.<\/p>\n
\"We are fully conscious of the fact that our uncompromising
\nstance may harbor risks, bearing in mind a majority of our people
\nare adherents of Islam,\" she remarked.<\/p>\n
However, she made no mention of a ruling issued last Friday by
\nthe Constitutional Court that Antiterror Law No. 16\/2003, used to
\nconvict the Bali bombers, went against the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"Despite the limitations we have, the world has become a
\nwitness to our seriousness,\" she boasted.<\/p>\n
The new opinion overrules the retroactivity principle adopted
\nby the law, and could provide an opportunity for the Bali bombers
\nto file fresh appeals against their convictions.<\/p>\n
The verdict sparked fears that the Bali bombers could walk
\nfree should they appeal to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
However, officials have given an assurance that Jakarta would
\nnot allow any suspects implicated in the 2002 Bali blasts, which
\nkilled 2002 people, to be released, despite the new ruling.<\/p>\n
They could still be convicted under the Criminal Code and an
\nemergency law issued in 1950, they argued.<\/p>\n
Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan said on Tuesday the
\nConstitutional Court's verdict could not be held to be new
\nevidence (novum), of a type that would enable convicted
\nterrorists to file for review of their cases.<\/p>\n
\"Novum is whatever judges fail to discover when they try
\ncases. Therefore, a new legal decision that comes after a court
\nhas issued a verdict should not be categorized as novum,\" he said
\nat his office.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, such a new legal circumstance will automatically
\naffect cases on which judges have yet to hand down verdicts,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
At least 33 people were convicted by the Denpasar District
\nCourt, under the Antiterror Law, for their involvement in the
\ndevastating Bali explosions.<\/p>\n
Three suspects, Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron, alias
\nMuklas, were sentenced to death, while four others -- Ali Imron,
\nSarjio, Suranto Abdul Goni and Utomo Pamungkas, alias Idris --
\nwere given life imprisonment.<\/p>\n
Others received jail sentences of three to 16 years.<\/p>\n
Lawyers of the convicts hailed the Constitutional Court's
\nruling and said they would appeal to the Supreme Court, claiming
\nthe new verdict was novum.<\/p>\n
Apart from the 33 people, elderly cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is
\nbeing detained as a terrorist suspect charged under articles 14,
\n15, 17 and 18 of the same law.<\/p>\n
Police have alleged that Ba'asyir is a spiritual leader of the
\nregional terror group, Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), blamed also for the
\nBali bombings. He could face the death sentence if convicted.<\/p>\n
\"The police can continue with legal processing of Ba'asyir, as
\nwell as other people involved in the Bali blasts, by using
\nArticle 55 of the Criminal Code,\" Bagir said.<\/p>\n
The Bali blasts, the worst terror incident since the Sept. 11,
\n2001, attacks on the United States, prompted a huge manhunt in
\nIndonesia for members of the al-Qaeda-linked JI network.<\/p>\n
Megawati, who will contest the presidential election runoff on
\nSept. 20 to challenge her own former chief security minister
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono, blamed terrorism for its devastating
\nimpact on tourism and transportation in Indonesia.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesias-war-on-terrorism-goes-on-mega-assures-the-world-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}