RI won't bow to foreign pressure on terrorism: VP<\/p>\n
Ivy Susanti and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Friday that the government
\nwould reject any intervention from foreign governments regarding
\nthe country's problems, including terrorism.<\/p>\n
He said, however, the government would take into account
\n\"their aspirations\" when dealing with particular issues.<\/p>\n
Kalla made the statements following the Oct. 1 bomb attacks on
\nBali and ahead of an upcoming visit by Australian foreign
\nminister Alexander Downer to Indonesia and amid reports that the
\nlatter country had asked the government of Indonesia to outlaw
\nalleged terror group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) and objected to a
\npossible further cut in the jail term of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, a
\nMuslim cleric accused of being the spiritual leader of JI.<\/p>\n
Downer is scheduled to visit Indonesia on Oct. 12, in
\nconjunction with the 2002 Bali bombing commemoration.<\/p>\n
Downer will also meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\nMinister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, Coordinating
\nMinister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi
\nSucipto and National Police chief Gen. Sutanto to discuss
\ncounterterrorism cooperation.<\/p>\n
\"We'll listen to their aspirations but it will be us who makes
\nthe decisions. We'll reject any form of intervention,\" the Vice
\nPresident told the press.<\/p>\n
Foreign countries, Kalla said, often blame Ba'asyir for any
\nbombs in the country.<\/p>\n
\"He is still in jail and the government keeps an eye on him.
\nForeign countries usually try to implicate him in any bombing
\ncase here. Why don't we let the courts decide?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir is serving a 30-month prison term in Jakarta for
\nconspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings.<\/p>\n
Separately, Hassan said the Indonesian government was
\nreviewing the 1999 presidential decree on prisoner remissions,
\nbut he did not say when the President would endorse any changes.<\/p>\n
\"The government is reviewing the presidential decree on
\nremissions, particularly concerning serious crimes, including
\nterrorism. We realize there is a need to do that,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, he denied the move was in response to Australia's
\nprotest against a sentence cut for Ba'asyir.<\/p>\n
Hassan also said that Downer had not formally informed him
\nthat he would raise objections to the possibility of Indonesia
\ngranting another sentence reduction to Ba'asyir.<\/p>\n
\"We learned about it from media reports. Since he's coming
\nhere, I'd prefer to hear it directly from him,\" Hassan said.<\/p>\n
Australian newspapers reported earlier this week that their
\nfederal government would oppose any move to reduce Ba'asyir
\nprison sentence.<\/p>\n
Ba'asyir had his sentence cut by 135 days on Indonesia's
\nIndependence Day on Aug. 17, sparking anger from Australia and
\nthe families of the bomb victims.<\/p>\n
He could have another month taken off to mark the end of
\nRamadhan in early November, prison officials say.<\/p>\n
The regular prison remission program grants jail term cuts to
\nprisoners with good conduct if they have already served at least
\nsix months, on Independence Day and religious holidays.<\/p>\n
Hassan also reiterated that the Indonesian government could
\nnot ban JI because the organization was not a legal entity.<\/p>\n
Australian Prime Minister John Howard told a radio interview
\nin Sydney on Wednesday that he would \"work out the most
\nappropriate way to push\" the Indonesian government to outlaw
\nterrorist organizations, like JI, and would express it when
\nDowner visited Jakarta next week.<\/p>\n
JI was blamed for the Bali bombings in October 2002 that
\nkilled 202 people, including 88 Australians.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-wont-bow-to-foreign-pressure-on-terrorism-vp-1447893297",
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